What’s My Name
Well, I’ve gone and done it. I’ve officially changed my name to my married one.
Theresa Gerling is now Theresa Karpen.
I used to hate my given name growing up. Too long, too many letters, doesn’t exactly slip trippingly on the tongue. No one could spell my first name. They didn’t understand the whole silent ‘h’ thing. I’ve gotten Teresa, Tereasa, Terasa, you name it (no pun intended). And my last name, Gerling. So German, sounds too much like girlie, in fact everyone wanted to spell it Girling. But now that all my mail and my checks and my credit cards all say Theresa Karpen, I miss it.
To me Theresa Gerling sounds like a fun loving girl in her 20s. Theresa Karpen sounds like a frigid, uptight 30 year old. Whatever, my goal is to make my name sound fabulous no matter what it is.
