Name Change

I have been married to my wonderful darling husband for 13 years. I never realized going to such a common name would cause me so many headaches over the years. If you haven't guessed from the title of my blog (The Berry Patch) my last name is Berry. Those who know me IRL know my first name. Pretty common wouldn't you agree? My maiden name was less common, but I will give this hint - one of Season 3's contestants of Project Runway had the same name - although he spelled it slightly differently. I never had problems with that name other than teaching people how to spell it and/or pronounce it.

Okay, so why am I complaining?? I received a call today. First I answered to hear one of those lovely (hear my sarcasm) voices telling me to "hold for a very important call." Nope! If you can't call me & talk to me directly, I'm not waiting! I hung up. Almost immediately the phone rang again.

This time a woman asked to speak to me. Without identifying myself I asked her name. She gave it. So I said, "From where...." She told me. No clue what it meant. So then I asked what it was in regards to. She asked if she was talking to me (said my name) & I said, "yes." That is when she said it was in regards to my outstanding $1,000 balance on my Sears account. WHAT???? I emphatically told her that, "I don't HAVE a Sears account!" She asked to verify the last four digits of my social security number & she rattled them off. They were not even CLOSE to my numbers & I told her it wasn't me. Thankfully she just said, "Oh, wrong person. Sorry." Then she hung up. [sigh]

I then called my MIL to tell her I was going to change my name & why. She then fills me in....on the rest of the story. She was babysitting for me this past Saturday & this same company called (we think). Same thing happened - automated caller, she hung up, & then a real person called. My MIL tells her I'm not there & she'll have to call back on Monday to which the woman who called said, "That is unacceptable." HUH? What did she expect - for my MIL to snap her fingers & have my show up? My MIL told her basically - sorry, too bad, she's not here, call back & hung up.

Now granted, my MIL could have been the person they were looking for & this person could have given me a hard time today, but didn't. For that I'm thankful. So why do I want to change my name??

In the 13 years I've been married, this is about the 10th time (or at least feels that way) that this has happened to me. The first time was about a year after I was married. My dh & I married between our junior & senior years of college. I graduated first & began paying on my student loans six months after graduation. Another six months later I receive another large packet in the mail from the loan processing center for my student loan payments. It took me quite a bit of looking at this paper to realize it was not me. It had my FULL name on it (I have a hyphenated first name), my correct & current address, AND my date of birth! I finally noticed that the social security number was not mine. I called them up, told them this, & mailed it all back to them. Phew!

Then we moved further south in the state. We had been there about two years. We started renting movies from this small mom & pop store about 20 minutes from our house. One day I get a letter in the mail from them. It was for a movie I had supposedly rented & never returned. Once again, after looking at it closely I realized that 1) I would have NEVER rented the movie missing (Dracula) & 2) I supposedly rented it in 1994. I didn't LIVE in that area in 1994. I called them up & was told, "Oh sorry. We just picked the first name in our system." There are many of us out there with this name.

One other memorial moment was when I received a letter from a local bank (which I don't have an account at any more but did a long time ago) stating I was default on a loan for an SUV. I don't own an SUV - although I wish I did!!! I called the guy who had signed the letter & after verifying social security numbers - again - we realized it wasn't me.

SO, I'm soliciting name suggestions? What do you think? How far off the wall should my new legal name be? LOL Leave me a comment. I may just change it!