All My Gettings

So, I'll be among the first to admit that the name I go by in real life is a bit confusing. People are sometimes unsure how to say it. People sometimes think I am Asian before meeting me. A few, let's call them initiated, know that it's a Welsh shortened form of a very popular name. I'm ok with this, as it often leads to a much more interesting first conversation that I would have with most people. Sure, there was the guy named, I kid you not, France who asked me when introduced to me "What sort of name is that?" in a tone that was both condescending and incredulous. His implication, I can only assume is that it's normal for parents from Bluffdale, UT to name their children after geogrpahic entities (his brother's name was Platte and he had a sister Paris), but my name was simply beyond the pale.

All this being said, it still is a little disconcerting to receive, in answer to an email about whether a job is still open, a missive that opens "Ms. [my last name]." I'm going to chalk this one up to the overwhelming majority of women in my field and not, say, a feminine turn to my phrasing. I guess, when in doubt, assume a uterus in library land.