Jilda got her corrected birth certificate this week. Back in March of 1952, a third shift nurse had misunderstood Jilda's mom when she told her the child's name. Instead of spelling the name Jilda, the nurse had written Gilda. Maybe the nurse was half asleep or maybe Ruby was into the feel good stuff but the wheel was set into motion.
This little glitch has bothered Jilda all her life. It caused her grief for years but a little snafu at the airport in Los Angeles the last time we traveled was the straw that broke the camel's back. The screeners mistook my mild mannered spouse for a terrorist. After all, most of the terrorists you see on TV have blond hair and blue eyes. I thought she was going to hit her with a tazer and strip search her right there in the middle of Concourse B for the world to see.
As it turns out, a senior screener (one that had been on the job longer than three weeks) interviewed Jilda and she was able to explain why the name on her ticket was Jilda and the name on her passport is Gilda. Terror Girl was allowed to board for Birmingham. The only catch was that her name would be entered into the Department of Homeland Security's watch list. This usually means that she would be badgered unmercifully every time she drove by an airport.
She vowed then and there to get the spelling of her name corrected legally. This week she received her new birth certificate.
She is thrilled, but I can tell you she won't be as much fun to watch navigating through security.
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