so i’m here to tell you why i didn’t change my last name. my husband would explain it as sheer laziness. in truth, that is somewhere in the ball park of the explanation.

don’t worry. i’m not going to spray some feminist manifesto into your ears about the subordination of women through the practice of the name change. even though i do feel strongly compelled by some of those arguments and the history of the practice.

on the contrary, i feel that women wanting to hold the same last name as their husbands and children carry as much water as a ten gallon hat. ten gallons of water is really heavy!!! if women want to change their names then go forth and prosper, young matrons.

but therein lies my motivation. or my unmotivation, rather. i didn’t want to. i haven’t really tried to wrestle around with reasons or justifications too much. i’m elaine marie tucker and i just didn’t want to go through the process. so i didn’t. that’s all. and that should be what it’s all about. what each individual woman wants for herself. i am so eternally thankful to live in a time period where i can make these choices for myself.

besides, if i were going to change my last name i’d change it to something like merriweather, pumperknickel, or saint-exupiary. you know, something colorful, sounds slightly literary and fun to say.*

*disclaimer: i love my husband’s last name. i love the memory of him becoming extremely sheepish telling me he was mr. wright. “you know like mr. right?” to which i replied “you are awfully sure of yourself.”  it has nothing to do with me not being proud of carrying his name. maybe someday in the future i will want to change over but i will make the change when that day comes.