What's In A Name? Everything.
I married into one of those names that people misspell frequently. In fact, I still pause at times to make sure I am spelling it correctly, even after seven years of marriage. The last two letters (le) are easy to reverse (el). But that is still no excuse for people and organizations who come in regular contact with me not to take the time to get it right.
Names are important. They are a vital part of our identity and therefore, they are worth taking the time to get right. I happen to have a lot of names, a first, two middle names, a maiden name and my married name — the Social Security office just loved me when I insisted that they fit them all on my card. My mother gave me all those names (well, not my married one), I wasn't going to drop any of them!
Then to make it more complicated, I have a nickname I have used all my life rather than my given first name. I have always been J.J. and much prefer it to Janice. I bristle whenever I am called Janice. It is a sure sign that a telemarketer is calling me when someone on the phone asks for Janice. It chagrins me to receive meaningful piece of mail addressed to Janice, and yet an organization I belong to and am very actively involved in insists on using my formal name on envelopes despite my requests that they address me as Mrs. J.J. _____. If it were any other organization, I would actually quit paying dues over it, this irks me so much. To me it is a sign of disrespect since I have made my wishes very clear.
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