Entry No. 2 in case you missed the last one

Hubby and I have recently returned from the polling station where we cast our ballots for and against. I will not bother explaining that cryptic comment; if you understand the Canadian political scene at all, it says it all. My friend zitagsd has started a new diary at flutterpuppy where she is posting the most amazing digital photographs from her garden. One of her pictures is of night-blooming cactus flowers, and it is exquisite.

When I got married, almost 22 years ago now, I made the willful decision not to change my name. I remember a fellow secretary at one of the law offices I worked at in my other life who said that she had a mini identity crisis after she got married when all her I.D. started arriving with a different name on it. It didn�t help that she also cut her hair and thus altered her appearance. When people asked me why I kept my maiden name, I replied that Hubby and I performed together, and Smith and Smith (the names have been changed to protect the innocent) sounded too much like a law firm. The real reason was that I did not want to become his property. I was still myself, and having my own name reflected that. I know that my in-laws were none too pleased with my decision, but some of them have finally ceased and desisted from addressing all our correspondence as Dr. and Mrs. Smith. My mother-in-law still does it, but the sibs use my name.

Moving to Quebec was a bit of a boon in that way. When the English conquered the French in 1763, they did not absorb them, but allowed them to keep their langauge and their laws, which is why Quebec is so different from the rest of Canada. I was at a wedding last year at which the minister read the pertinent section of the Quebec marriage act, whereby a woman retains her name. A women can take her husband�s name here, but only socially. On all official documents, it is her maiden name that is used.

So my question to you married ladies out there is: Did you take your husband�s name or did you keep your own? Why on both counts?

And for you unmarried ladies: Would you change your name upon a change in your matrimonial status? Why on both counts?

And my last question has to do with children�s last names. In Canada now, a child can be given either one of the parents� names, or both hyphenated. We just called the kids by their father�s last name because it was no picnic growing up with mine, even though I have so staunchly kept it. How have you named or would you name your children? And why?

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