30 Day Blog Challenge topic: Your earliest memory
Candace of Name Your Tune inspired this post when she posed the following on her Facebook page:
Ladies, when you got married, did you take your husband’s last name? Was it an easy decision or were you torn? Was it hard for you? I would love to hear about it.
It just so happens that one of my first memories is about this very topic. The answers to Candace’s questions (and others before it) are fascinating. So many perspectives and so many reasons. I have always known that if and when I got married, I’d keep my last name. It has never been up for debate.
I remember clearly the first time I had a conversation on this topic. I was about three years old and was shopping with my mom and my paternal grandmother. I’m not sure how the conversation started, but that was the day I learned that my grandmother had had her married name longer than her birth name. I was scandalized and responded with:
“No man is gonna take my name away from ME!”
Yup. I was three. Fiercely convicted. To a fault, perhaps.
My decision has never wavered and it won’t. That is why both my kids have my last name as their middle names.
The interesting thing about this story is that after doing some research tonight, I realized that my grandmother never legally had my grandfathers name. Being from Quebec, she had to assume her husband’s name. It was the same for my mom. It was a technicality more than anything, but it blew my mind a little that at the time of her death, she was still a Williamson.
It always amazes me when people have such clear memories from their childhood. Mine are always hazy, fading in and out.
One of my earliest memories of childhood is playing outside with my brother peeling paint off the side of our house. Not sure why we were doing it -probably was fun
As for name changes, like your grandmother I too assumed my husband’s last name. However, legally I’m still “a Hall”. It confused a lot of people when I explained that I’m assuming my husband’s name but have the power to still use my maiden name. When you legally change your name you have to give up your birth certificate -it’s no longer valid. Why would I want to do that?
So good to see you blogging again! I didn’t even know!
I added my ex’s last name to mine. No hyphen. Just two last names. Biggest headache ever. Glad to be rid of it now
I can totally see the 3 yo you saying what you did. Looks like we all are very much ourselves from the moment we’re born!
I am back. I decided to bring it back to basics and take it less seriously.
Yeah, I am very much the same person as I was when I was a child. I hope that’s true for my kids, because they are awesome as they are right now.
Its amazing the things we remember from our childhood – I love that you were so convicted about this so early on.