Changing names

Businesses occasionally change names, usually to reflect a different structure, ownership or image. It's a task not lightly undertaken, as the transformation process can sometimes be confusing.

For example, there's answering telephone calls - a daily ritual. A company or business name change affects that comfortable opening line of conversation.

Sometimes it takes a while to work out the details, as I am learning. My name changed recently, when I married the love of my life. Just a few days after our wedding, my husband and I attended an aircraft construction workshop. We were asked to introduce ourselves to the group, and I stumbled over my new name, Patricia Liles, an identity different from my old one, Patricia Jones.

It's becoming more comfortable now, as I have more practice in using my new name. And after 36 years of living as one identity, it takes awhile to change everything that has your name on it.

Initially, I planned to continue using my maiden name for writing. Journalists depend on their identity and accompanying reputation of their names, perhaps more than any other asset.

It's the image - positive or negative - that comes to mind when a source is contacted for information. The source has to decide, sometimes almost instantly, whether to carve out a few minutes from an already busy day to provide information to the journalist.

Previously, I thought my name change could confuse the communications process. But having two identities became confusing, answering the telephone one way, then just a few minutes later, making a call using the other name. I've stumbled and stuttered my way through an introduction more than once.

The bottom line is - my identity has changed, on these pages and in all that I do, professionally and personally. In every aspect of my life, I am a different person, new and improved over my old self. This new name is mine for the rest of my life, so now is the time to change my by-line.

Now, I just need to figure out how to change the pop-up on my computer, which keeps trying to insert my old name when I type Patricia Liles.