October 12 W1034 Orlando
[excerpt]

I’ve been thinking a lot these days about what I would change my name to if I were to legally change it. I want to still go by “Chris” so the obvious candidate is “Christopher” but unfortunately I’m not a fan of the name. Names like “Christian” are out of the question for obvious reasons.

To complicate matters, I really like the name Christine—not for myself, but in general. I think it’s a nice name and is totally underrepresented in America and even though I feel like it doesn’t represent me anymore, I find myself loath to get rid of it for these reasons. (I was, however, constantly CONSTANTLY called “Cristina” in Texas and that’s the closest I came to hating my name. Not only did people struggle with my last name but their brains couldn’t even manage my first name either.)

I’ve been thinking about updating my cell phone area code because I’ve had the same 713 number since high school. The thing is, I like(d) my 713 number and feel attached to it even though it hasn’t represented my identity and the reality of my residency here for a very long time. Houston is like New York in that there are four area codes and 713 is the OG, the most sought-after, Houston’s 212 equivalent. You can’t get a 713 anymore even for a landline, so having a 713 for a cell phone is a flex. It’s also a connection to my past I liked to maintain but, like “Christine,” I’m feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the incongruence. 

713 is to my phone number as Christine is to my name: things I appreciated and grew attached to over the years out of habit but are remnants of a previous self whose role and meaning I’m having to reassess in my life. How will I know when it’s time to let go of these things? Both changes take so much logistical effort too, so it’s easier to do nothing and just live with the discomfort. But maybe all the Texas-centric election year spam I’ve been receiving has made the area code decision for me. (Then again, my entire phone bill is waived whenever a hurricane hits Houston, so the Houston area code has a perk or two.)