Mrs, Ms or Madam??

It puzzles me how a married lady calls herself as Mrs, Ms or Mdm.

I was born in the era where we address our female school teachers as Mrs, Madam or Miss, never Ms. There is no ambiguity of their status. Why and when the sudden of this Ms thingy?

In ancient time, a married woman is the property of her husband and hence even her maiden name (surname) has to change to that of her husband. Whatever vow she had previously made can be nullified by her husband

This puzzle all starts when I observe how my wife sometimes uses her maiden name (Ms Tan) or her married name (Mrs Lim) in letters or conversation. Being a choleric and assertive woman, she would use her maiden name in normal situation. However, on strategically situations, like talking to parents of children in her Sunday school classes, she will likely use her married name.

This prompts me with a theory of Mrs or Ms for a married woman. When a married woman calls herself Mrs So and So, she is not only talking about her marital status, she is actually saying that I am submissive to my husband (when in this world, I can still choose to use my own name, yet I use my husband name). Secondly, she is pro-family rather than individualistic (Just like the card game – Happy Family, the wife is Mrs., not Ms). Also, she is not an evasive person to keep you in suspend whether she is married, single or …

I usually have a higher regard and respect for married lady who call herself Mrs rather than Ms. Maybe; it was the school teacher’s instinct where we call them Mrs. Or maybe; it was their transparency. Most likely, it is because I believe in Eph 5:22-33; about husbands to love their wives and wives to be subject to their husbands.

Why the sudden of this thought?

The recent spate of leadership tussle (women versus women) just triggers this puzzle again when I look at the names of the women in contention.

(1) Mrs Constance Singam – she is much older than me and probably in the older era of “Mrs and Mdm, no Ms” period.

(2) Mrs Claire Nazar – president of AWARE for a few weeks before she resigned. Her face shows that she is a Chinese but choose to use her husband name.

(3) Ms Josie Lau – president of AWARE.

If you are given these 3 names and their faces, without further information, what impression would your derive?

OK, so wives, “want to help me piece up this puzzle?”

What about man? Not fair leh!!

Well, for man, see whether he has his wedding ring. But that is any puzzle of mine, probably another Share-A-Thought.