Friday, February 4, 2011

congratulations?

it's such a strange thing. as i go through the administrative changes related to my new-old name, my new-old identity. every time i sign a paper, visit an office or chat with a clerk, the conversation ends with one word that increasingly strikes me as a strange reaction to the nature of the business at hand:

"congratulations!"

now, don't get me wrong. having this done is certainly something worth celebrating. i am thrilled to the gills to be on my way to resetting my life. but, really, isn't that such a weird thing to say to someone? it's not like this is such a pleasant undertaking. the end of a marriage is never pretty. it's rough around the edges at best and harrowing, bloody, acrimonious at worst.

but then again, maybe it's not so weird. on louis c.k.'s fabulous new album hilarious, there's a routine about his recent divorce that made me laugh way harder than i thought i ever would. first off, the man is absolutely killer funny. but more importantly, he said perhaps the most bluntly true thing i've ever heard in my life, and it was just what i needed at that moment: "divorce is always good news. i know that sounds weird, but it's true, because no good marriage has ever ended in divorce. it's really that simple."

holy hell, talk about finding wisdom in unexpected places. the reason i am no longer married to the ex is because our marriage was bad. bing, bang, boom. the event hurts, it feels awful. but i am in so much of a better place than i was one year ago today. i feel free. i'm happy as hell, right down in my core, the short-term pain of recent events notwithstanding. the divorce, really, was good news.

so yeah, clerks/registrars/assorted other government-agency minion people. congratulations it is.

4 comments:

  1. Wisdom in unexpected places is one of my favorite flavors of Truth.

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  2. I guess it does seem like an odd thing to say, but think of everything your new/old name symbolizes. It's amazing, really. So, Congrats!

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  3. Damn, those are some pretty wise words.

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  4. When I went to the SS office to change my name I had a very flamboyant male government employee check me in. He asked what I was there for and when I responded "name change?" he said "oohhh, girl you get married?" I awkwardly laughed and said "nooo, divorce."

    "Girl, CONGRATULATIONS! If he didn't appreciate what he had your better off without him!" It was such a honest, sincere, enthusiastic response and exactly what I needed at that point in time.

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