Changing Names

As I've progressed through my years at College I've begun to be a little disconcerted with the frequency that I look at my list of friends on Facebook and find that I don't recognize many of the names on there. Not because these are people that I don't know, but because they are females who have gotten married. Honestly, I look at these names and I'm like, "Who the heck is that?!" and then I look at the profile picture and I realize who it is. I don't like this.

I had never realized how much trouble changing a name can cause until recently. Especially if you meet someone that knows a mutual friend by a different last name, you can't figure out who they're talking about because their using a last name that makes no sense to you.

I remember one of my first years here when I went to find my sister at work. I asked for her by my family name and only received an empty stare in response. It took me a second to realize that they had never heard her referred to by her maiden name, and I updated my inquiry to use her new last name, upon which they new exactly who I meant and pointed me in the right direction.

Habits die hard, and trying to update someone's name is a very tricky task for me to do. For people that know me they understand that it takes me a long time to learn people's names and to properly associate names and faces. Not that I don't try, my brain just isn't adept at making those associations, however once they are made, they are set and I don't forget them very easily. So trying to change someone's name in my head not only has to fight against an already known name, but it's an uphill battle due to the slow progress I make in learning _any_ name.

So to those that are married, don't take it personally that I will probably never remember your new last name.