What’s Your Name, Little Girl?

Ok, I promise I won’t talk about my new little neice throughout this post.  It’s really a post about me.  But, the idea to write this post came when Billy and Mandi asked me at the hospital what my middle name was and I answered them the best way I could. . . .

I don’t know.

You might enjoy the explanation as much as they did.  If not, sorry to waste your time.

I was to be named for some Mac Davis song about Emily Suzanne.  Or so I’m told.  (Until Amy Lynn was born, I think I’ve always wished my parents had actually named me Emily Suzanne.)

As the story goes, my birth certificate read Amy Sue.  Several months after I was born, my parents realized it was wrong.  Supposedly, they went to the state vital records folks in Missouri and had them correct it.  Supposedly, the state of Missouri went in, crossed out the name Sue and typed Suzanne.  I’ve got a certified copy that shows this.

When I went to get my driver’s license/learner’s permit here in Texas, this caused a problem.  According to them, the way that the State of Missouri changed my name invalidated my entire birth certificate.  So, the state of Texas, I don’t legally exist- I was never born.  Oddly enough, they did take my school record which was based on the same certificate and my social security which used the same certificate as well.  So even though I don’t legally exist in the state of Texas, I can legally drive.  But, since I’m writing this from the state where I don’t exist, you’re not reading this write now.

So, that mystery aside, I’ve always taken for granted that my middle name was Suzanne and felt I had a funny story to share about it.  But, I’ve often wondered what the State of Missiouri really had on record for my middle name.

Then came Valentine’s Day weekend last month.  Remember, my nephew was here.  Well, we got to looking at my baby book.  I found something I’d never noticed there before.  My mom filled in the filled in the family tree portion of the book. . . and there at the bottom of the tree. . . Amy Susan.

Now, I’m really confused.  Truth be told, I like the Susan a lot more.  That’s what my Grandfather used to call my mom.  If I don’t change my middle name to Lynn, I’d consider Susan.

But, truly, for now, I’d settle for just really knowing what my legal first name is.  And after years of planning to do it, I ordered a copy of my Missouri Birth Certificate in hopes of solving the great mystery.  I’m hoping that it’ll be a computerized version. . . and not just another copy of the cross-out one that I have.  Perhaps then, I’ll legally exist in the state of Texas.

Related posts:

1. Peaceful, Easy Feeling
2. Sharing a Name
3. A Caddo Guy and a Crockett Girl