People have been changing their names for years for a multitude of reasons. Here are a few examples:
1. Mary Ann Evans, an English novelist, poet, journalist, and one of the most influential writers of the Victorian Era, adopted the male pseudonym George Eliot when she began writing fiction. She believed that by using a male alias that she might avoid female stereotyping. She went on to author Middlemarch, which is considered one of the greatest novels ever written. 
2. Tennessee Williams, born Thomas Lanier Williams III, known as a great American playwright. His famous works include "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." He changed his name at the age of 28. He chose Tennessee as his new first name as that is the place where his father was raised.
3. Eric Marlon Bishop, a comedian who noticed early in his career that female comedians were almost always called to the stage before male comedians. So, the comedian changed his stage name to Jamie Foxx in an effort to use a more gender neutral name...and it worked.
4. Let us not forget, and let us remember to thank the Lord for the day this man was born, Reginald Kenneth Dwight. On May 7, 1972 he legally changed his name to Elton John. He chose this name by merging the names of Blues legends Elton Dean and Long John Baldry. It is also said that his chosen middle name is "Hercules," after a horse named Hercules on Steptoe & Son.Even in the Bible, name changes were not uncommon. Often new names were given when their mission in life was unveiled to them, or when there was a significant revelation. For instance, Abram, "high father," and Sarai, "my princess," became Abraham, "father of a multitude," and Sarah, "mother of nations." Abraham and Sarah prayed and prayed for children, once their blessings were provided by God, their descendants went on to form many nations. The Bible has a way of telling us about these things in a way that does cause us to use our faith and our relationship with God to determine a purpose or to draw a conclusion. The way I see it is that a name change is often used, by God, as a way to set us on our new mission, or to let us in on His divine plan for our lives and our purpose in this world.
Throughout my transition, so far, I have already reached a few milestones. Besides starting HRT nearly 3 months ago, I have met another significant milestone. I filed for my legal name change the week before last on a Wednesday. I went to the Probate Judge's office with all of the necessary documents to have my name changed. I paid for the service, and the clerk told me that I would have my order in the mail in a week or two. A WEEK OR TWO?! I was surprised at how quick and simple this process is and was going to be. For a while, I kept thinking the short wait was just too good to be true...
However, to my pleasant surprise, this past Saturday I received my official court order in the mail. My name is legally changed! I couldn't be happier. and I know that this means big things are to come. I realize it is just a piece of paper telling me that I am legally who I say I am, but it also completely validates the person I am and have become. It is a major turning point in my life, in my transition, and in my faith.
As I bring this post to a close, I have included a couple of comparison pictures. On the left is a picture of me at my office on August 4, 2017 and on the right is a picture of me at my office this morning, September 18, 2017. Just looking at these pictures I can see so many changes. In just over a month my face has filled out, may jaw has gotten wider, I am more solid and fill out my shirts even more (even the ones that used to be a little big), my neck has gotten more muscular and bigger, my nose has changed slightly, my eyebrows are thicker, and I can see my sad little dirt 'stache over my top lip...ok, I'm pretty proud of my dirt 'stache and chin hairs.
"It is never too late to be what you might have been." -George Eliot
Thanks for reading. Be kind and respect one another.
Eliot
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