Aibu to want to be a Mrs even though I'm now divorced?

[flirtygirl]

I kept my maiden name and used my married name for the years I was married (13). The married name I've been changing over now but for years I was Miss C Smith or Mrs C Smith Jones (both show on my credit report, passport is in one and driving licence in the other) .

I now want to be Mrs C Smith instead of Miss.

No idea why but it hurts me for people to think I'm a single mum who has never been married, is it my internalised misogyny?

I know it shouldn't matter to be but it does.

How is the US way of pronouncing tizz different?
Ok whatever.I give up. I'm an agent of the patriarchy..OR I am just expressing a dislike of a title WHICH I USE and have done forever. Pick whichever suits you.

I meant that if you pronounce Ms the US way, it's like tizz.

It rhymes with tizz and Liz and fizz and is. U.S pronunciation that is. It's the same vowel sound as in Miss but with a z instead of an s sound at the end. Pretty simple really.

Which brings me to another question. You don't pronounce Miss as Muss in the UK do you?

No, Miss is as it's spelt.

But why do slight variations of pronunciation matter? The whole point is that it is clearly neither Mrs or Miss. I reckon that it’s just an conscious or unconscious misogynist rear guard action being fought, frankly.

I love thecartofhelena's idea to choose Countess , after all it's the first title on the list and very becoming,
Countess thecartofhelena has a certain ring to it. Do you think people at my work will mind or even notice if I choose Countess?

Ive always used Ms from my first fulltime job at 18 and Im an old girl now. Praps Dame Midsummabreak would suit

One place I sometimes buy concert tickets from has Madame as an option and I use that (despite not being French) and feel very sophisticated for it.

I also suggested I might start to use Countess, after a rather frustrating conversation with our team PA who does things like book flights etc.

She says to me 'you aren't married are you Barbara'?

To which I reply 'no, why do you ask' and she replies 'I never know what title to put when I book flights for you'.

My response 'what are you asking, if I am married, which is not relevant on a flight booking, or my title, which is not the same question' confuses her. It is interesting to note at this point that she is a divorcee who still goes by the name Mrs exH lastname.

So I tell her that I don't generally bother with titles, but if it is compulsory on online forms, to use Ms, but I might start using Countess, because I quite fancy turning up at the airline desk with a boarding pass with Countess Barbara on it.

My real name is not Barbara obviously, it's one of those long unfashionable 1960/1970s names, along the lines of Countess Sharon, so it would be even funnier.