(no subject)

Elli brought up a good point:

"It's a strong name, and even if you don't know everything about your father, it speaks of a lineage which I know makes your blood sing."

And she's right. I'm immensely proud of the Scottish clan from which I am descended. I have more affinity toward that part of my heritage than I do the Portugeuse half of my bloodline. Most importantly, I have recently (ever since learning of my father's death) made peace with the fact that I may not know him, but I am still from him. I am the son of Robert Eugene Johnston, and nothing can or will ever change that.

And so, as someone I admire once said to me: "When you get married, you'll want to change it."

I do. It's time, finally, to reclaim my name and family.

This isn't some thing that sprung up because my aunt and my fiance would like it. This is something I've been struggling with for over three years, and every time I've come to a decision to keep the name Atreides, I've come back to the topic within a few months. This has got to mean something. I think it's that I've never really been happy with my decision.

Of course, some things will remain the same: I'll still be inordinately fond of hawks, as I was long ago before ever reading Dune, and I'll still love the Dune saga and all that I learned from it. Because those things were a part of me even before the name became mine, and will remain a part of me forever.

Now I just have to find the best way to do it. I can wait until I get the marriage certificate, but I've been advised (both by my own research and by people who should know such things) that it might be trickier just because people aren't used to a man changing his name that way. Plus, I have a LOT more official things to change than I did in the past. oi!

But I'll do it. Because it's time.