Is she kidding???

[susandennis]

Our office manager sent out an email saying she was getting ready to order business cards and we should check our stash and let her know if we needed more. One of the sales reps sent her a note saying she was changing her name back to her maiden name and would like new cards.

Her last name is now Smith. In her note she said that she will be changing this to Oligschlaeger.

Susan (the office manager who is also know as Susan The First since she was here first) sent to me because she thought it was hilarious that this woman - who pretty much has no sense of humor - is making such a funny joke.

Honestly, I don't think she's kidding. I think she really is going go from Smith to Oligschlaeger. On purpose and by choice.

I was born Susan Karolene Schubert. I never lived anywhere where anyone got it right the first time. In the south they always thought it was Shufford or Shumpert. In the north they thought it was Shubert like the theater. So when I married Bob Dennis, scarfing up his last name was (unfortunately) top on the list of reasons to get married (no, I did not think it through at all). I dumped my middle name and have been known to the world for the last 25 years as Susan Dennis.

When I got divorced, I briefly pondered changing my name again. Never did I consider going back to Schubert. But I did give thought to picking a new name. As it turns out Susan Dennis isn't all that easy a name anyway... Sandy Dennis, Sandy Duncan... Maybe it's me?!

In 1980 the laws were lax and all you had to do to change your name legally (in most states) was just start using the one you wanted. All you needed to get a drivers license in your new name was one utility bill addressed to you in your new name. A copy of the drivers license changed the name for social security, etc. Those were the days.

But, even so, changing my name when I got married was a pain in the ass and I figured there were enough Mrs. Bob Dennis' (I was #2 and I think there were at least 4) - I could get lost in the crowd.

But, I could have been Susan Morgan, Susan Richard, Susan Kelly, Susan Perry... Oddly enough, I never once considered Susan Oligschlaeger.

Comments

[rsc.livejournal.com]

the office manager who is also known as Susan The First since she was here first

There used to be several women named Susan who were regulars at our Tuesday night English Country dances. One evening when two of them were there I noticed that one was wearing a name tag reading "Susan #1" and I thought, "What's she doing, claiming priority or something?" and then I noticed that the other Susan also had a name tag reading "Susan #1".

I think she really is going go from Smith to Oligschlaeger. On purpose and by choice.

Makes sense to me. She's going to get a lot less of other people's mail that way.

In the north they thought it was Shubert like the theater.

It took me years to learn to spell the name of the theater correctly. since as a musician I knew that Schubert was spelled with a "c".

[susandennis]

Ahh see there just are not enough musicians in the world...

[judith.livejournal.com]

I too would have spelled it like the composer.

Even relatively simple names are misspelled now, from birth at times. My brother's grandson has a middle name spelled "Johnathan". Didn't know you don't put the h in there. Many people are now named "Shawn", I am presuming because their parents did not know the Irish spelling.

I am one who does not find it amusing when people choose to spell their names some weird way just to get attention.

But in the case of this woman - hey, what the hell, why not? It's a great last name! Very funny, really.

[ruralrob.livejournal.com]

Great post Susan, even though I could sense that last line was coming from a mile off . . .

[susandennis]

If I can be about something, I'd love to be about the obvious!

[melodysk.livejournal.com]

You could always join me and become Susan Shanahan-Kluth (except I NEVER have used the Susan part) :)

[pinkrose70.livejournal.com]

Either Susan Smith has one hell of a sense of humor, or that's her REAL last name.

Funny....I have a relative named Susan Morgan and I worked for a few years with a nurse named Susan Perry.