The Name Game

[Trina]

ender wrote:
> 
"Interesting that I have had the opposite problem.  Perhaps it's 
because I'm a teacher and no matter how young a teacher is, kids see 
them as old and if you're old you must be married.  One time, after I 
explained that I couldn't participate in the blood drive because I 
was very squeamish and was afraid I would feel too faint to drive 
home, a student asked why my husband couldn't come pick me up.  He 
was very shocked to hear that I didn't have one." 

I had a child tell me that it was "dumb" that I wasn't married.  My 
group of kids had just asked me about my kids, and when I said I 
didn't have any because I wasn't married, that was his reply.  (Yes, 
I knwo, marriage is not necessarily a prerequisite to having 
children, but it is in my world) My principal also refers to me as 
Mrs. Gabbard in announcements, etc, which always makes me think to 
myself, "But Mom is Tennessee!" LOL  

As for taking my husband's name (if that should ever be an issue in 
my life!)  I probably will, especially if it is more pronounceable 
than my current surname.  It's pronounced Ga(as in hat)bird, but I 
get a lot of Guh-bard.  It is a handy way to tell the telemarketers 
from a bona fide call, though...

Trina