When I was in my mid-twenties, I went through a major identity change. I won't say crisis, because I don't think I was confused; I just wanted something different. One of the things I did was change my name.
I was born Alexandra Campbell Hartnett in 1968. Campbell was my mother's maiden name. I had never liked the name Hartnett; this was before the days that Josh Hartnett became famous. No one could pronounce it: "Har-nett? Harkneck? Fartnett, ha ha!" Very funny.
My mother had died a few years prior, so I thought about just dropping the Hartnett and going as Alexandra Campbell. That would have been sensible. While I was considering that, somewhere along the way I got another idea. I thought, "Well, everyone calls me Alex. Maybe I'll just go by that." I don't know where I heard that you could have just one name, but I got stuck on that unique and crazy notion. I had to be different. It wasn't enough that I had just shaved my head and gotten my eyebrow pierced.
I was still a rule-follower, so I went down to the court and did it legally. I joked around with some official there, and he said, "Heck, one lady came in and wanted to change her name to a number!" I guess people do all kinds of things. My dad didn't mind that I had dropped his name; my brother was the one who was insulted, because now he and I wouldn't share a name. Sorry, bro.
So there I was, Alex, just Alex. It says Alex on my Bachelor's Degree. My credit card had it, and it was in the phone book. I was legit. After a few months, it got old. I grew to dislike saying, "My name is Alex, just Alex, no last name. Like Madonna." Some business couldn't handle it. On one student loan I was Alex Alex; on another I was Al Ex. Identity change over, thank you very much.
After a year and a half of Alex, I went back to the court and changed it to Alexandra Campbell, to be closer to my deceased mom (and still not liking the name Hartnett). And that's the way it's been since 1996. Grew out my hair and got rid of the eyebrow ring and started to look like Little Miss Conservative. And then I discovered tattoos...
4 comments:
My friend Belle's friend Jessica married a man who's true life legal name was The Joker. [I mean, obviously he'd changed it to that as an adult, but still...]
Belle loved mocking him by addressing him as The.
dig it!! I wish I had done that somewhere some how. But instead I have to explain the my name, the one that I have been called since the moment I made my debut in the great year of 1968, is the derivation of my middle name. And my first name has nothing to do with my nick name. It is so confusing especially when you are in labor and they start calling you by your first name. You want to punch them in the face.
what's the tax story update?
You didn't mention LIKE PRINCE!
You were soo cool back then! ;-)
Oh my god, i can't believe xacerb8's story. THE JOKER! WOW!
All these 40 year olds on this blog, i am feeling OH SO YOUNG!
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