Kicking A** & Taking Names
Recently there were 50 divorces listed in the local paper. In 19 of these, the last names were different (or hyphenated). Almost 40% of the couples who were getting a divorce did not have the spouses sharing a name. What does this tell us?
People get married, not really sure they want to be with that partner forever. Marriage should be a fairly serious matter, not the least of which because it often results in children.
There are times when keeping your name makes sense.
- when you are in business, and your name ‘carries’ the business
- when you hate your spouses last name (who wants to be Mrs. Fred Stinkledge?)
This is not a macho “the woman must take the mans name” issue. Nor is this some religious mantra. It is not even because I am hopelessly old-fashioned, even though at times I am hopelessly old-fashioned.
The man can take the woman’s name for all I care. ‘Picasso’ was not Pablo’s fathers last name, it was his mothers!
This is simply an issue of earnestness. Do you REALLY want to be married to that person? Really? Then take their last name.
Too many people get married knowing they can exit if something goes wrong. This is a bad-bad approach to a marriage. How can a marriage ever be truly happy if you always have one foot out the door?
Do you think your kids don’t sense this? If you are serious about the sanctity of marriage, your kids might be too.
