Yes, I have the same last name

Ten years ago, I looked much like I do now. I was fairly shy until you got to know me, much like I am today. I had very little self-confidence (thank God that's improved over the years), and a propensity for the arts. I was not cool at my high school. But I had great friends. I was cool, however, where I worked. And that made me feel better about life in general.

I am now 28-years-old and am facing with great dread my 10-year class reunion. The get-together, which I would quietly opt out of if it weren't for a rather persistant best friend by the name of ALLISON, is in a few months.

Over the last couple months my email box has been bombarded with "Class of 1995 Reunion" plans, deadlines, reminders, etc. These emails include the email addresses of my fellow classmates, and if you're clever enough you can figure out which email address belongs to whom. Sometimes you don't even have to be clever because some folks (yes, I'm talking about me), have part of their name in their address.

I have never been married, unlike the vast majority of my 70 some-odd former classmates. That's not to say that I don't want to get married (because I do - a lot). It's to say that I'm somewhat of a rarity, a novelty, if you will.

So, I get an email a week or so ago. It goes something like this:

Hi Stacey! I noticed your name on the email lists and thought I'd drop you a line. It's been a while - what are you up to these days? Write back.

So, even though this guy and I were never friends in high school, I decided to write back to be friendly. I tell him that I'm very happily living in Tennessee and that I hope he's doing well. That's it. I didn't inquire about his personal life. Nothing. I click "send" thinking that's that. End of story.

Wrong. Here's a snippet of was waiting for me in my in-box yesterday:

So, I see you still carry your last name. You haven't gotten married? What's up with that? Are you serious with anyone there? I divorced a couple years after graduation, then tried it again with no such luck. Write back.

So, yes - I have the same last name. I've never been married. And no, I don't know "what's up with that."

What I do know is that I'm not about to discuss my unmarriedness with someone I hardly knew 10 years ago who is suddenly inquiring about it now.

Good grief.