Why I didn't take my husband's last name.

I kept my maiden name. I admit it and freely shout it from the mountains. Most people are too polite to ask, though they have questions. My hubby's surname is not so bad, but it didn't feel like it belonged to me, and there are already five Carols with his last name just in his small town. Heck, I don't even pronounce it right.
Here are my personal reasons for keeping my maiden name--
1) Pride--it's been my last name for my whole life. I kinda like it. It kinda suits me. I love my family and like being connected with them. There aren't many Divishes around--though there seem to be more each year.
2) Women's Rights--Not that I'm waging a battle against men, since they're nice to have around, especially my husband. I like having him around--just one of the reasons why I married the guy. But I like making my small stance against male ownership of women--even though that's basically in the past.
3) Uniqueness--did I mention there aren't as many of us?
4) Privacy-- Fairly ironic, as I'm posting this for all to see, but there are times I am able to tell where someone knows me from based on what they call me. Other times, I pretend that my hubby's connections won't know recognize me with my super-secret maiden name.

Now that I've made this decision (one that my hubby supports, since the kids share his name), there are some drawbacks to it.

1) Kids-Since my kids don't have the same last name as I do, schools and doctors have trouble connecting parent and child, or wonder if I am their biological mother.
2) Correspondence--Summing up the family, as in "The Sullivan Family", can be difficult. I don't mind if someone else does it, but experience cognitive dissonance if I do it myself, like I'm telling people that it's okay to pretend that I didn't keep the Divish name.
3) Marital status--Most people know that my husband and I are legally married, but people who don't know us well or are friends of friends wonder. I don't blame them, but always wear my wedding ring for those who might need to see the proof.
4) In-laws--My in-laws are wonderful people. Very thoughtful and kind. I would never want to offend them by disparaging their surname. Though they have never mentioned the issue, I don't know if my choice hurt them.