Sitting Here in Limbo, but I Know It Won’t Be Long (or, It Took Nine Months to Get My Social Security Card and Replacing All My Credit Cards Is Taking Almost as Long)

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it on this blog, but for most of 2021, I was dealing with the local Social Security office trying to get a card with my new (court-ordered) name.

It took nine months to get the card.

Once I had the Social Security card, I could get a new driver’s license (check!) and start changing my bank and credit cards. I also had my name changed officially with my employer (who most of you may be familiar with), which felt really good.

Last week I went into the bank (Chase), and they were very kind and accommodating and changed the name on my account before my very eyes. But that meant canceling and then reissuing my existing ATM and Chase credit cards. While they said I’d have the new ones “in a few days,” they haven’t yet graced my mailbox with their presence.

stack o' credit cards

It’s been interesting using cash more than I’m accustomed to using it. I used to be a cash zealot, though less so as times change. But being in a store and remembering, “Oh yeah, I only have $80 in my pocket, I can’t just grab everything that strikes my fancy,” that’s been kind of refreshing, honestly.

Without the replacement cards, my email inbox is starting to collect, “Hey, we can’t charge your card,” notices, but all I can do is wait for the new plastic to arrive.

It’s really a deep, dark rabbit hole, changing your name. Every step forward I make, it seems like three things I forgot about pop up to fill the void.

But I remain focused on the goal. I think. What was the goal again?

Oh yeah, a normal life. 🙂

day 49

WRITTEN BY A HUMAN

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