I think everyone deserves a name they are comfortable using.
My parents grew up in Berlin, Germany and barely escaped Hitler and met and married in New York City. They named me Melvin Harold after my father’s Uncle Max who was killed by Nazi sympathizers in Lithuania.
I would have been much happier with the name Max than Melvin Harold and I use that name when I sing karaoke these days.
By the time you graduate high school, you should have a name that you are comfortable with. If you are going to college or starting a career, you will have a first name you like and your new name will be on your driver’s license and your passport.
The concept of a woman taking a man’s last name goes back to the 15th Century when women were legally considered their husband’s once they were married but in the 1970’s many states shifted their laws to make it easier for women to keep their surname upon getting married.
Now I am suggesting that women and men can decide which of their names they want to share when they get married. If they don’t like either one, they can find a name together that they both love. If that happened years ago, my name now would be Max Montborne.
If you really disagree and think I’m crazy, please feel free to let me know.
Mel Damski: mel@laconnercommunitynews.org. Mel is a general assignment reporter and writes “If I ran the zoo,” an award-winning column that has graced the pages of three La Conner community weeklies.
