You Asked: June
photo by D Sharon Pruitt
Welcome back. Or, really, I should be welcoming myself back because most of you read and write blogs over the weekend. I don’t; it’s my time off. Which may make me lazy.
You know what else might signify I’m lazy? My monthly Q&A. Easy content. (Though really it give you a deeper understanding of my twisted little brain than any regular post can, right?)
So here we go:
Kelly asks: What has been your favorite age and why?
Ten. Life was simple at 10. Girls generally don’t reach that obnoxious caddy stage until at least 14. (You know, when they say they’re your friend but tell someone else you so aren’t their friend … until next week when you really are their friend.) At 10, we got to read books like Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and The Giver. I had the best teacher in the whole wide world who told us stories about Ireland and kissing the Blarney stone, and let us pretend to kiss our own Blarney stone while hanging upside down from our desks. (This was the early ’90s. Kids were allowed to be more independent back then.) And 10 was the age I went to Disney World for the first time, which in itself makes 10 awesome.
Samantha says: If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one ability or quality, what would it be?
This is the easiest question of life. I’d wake up tomorrow with the ability to self heal. If I got a cut or scrape, it’d heal up before you could open a Band-Aid. And if something else got injured—let’s say my knees, just as an example—they’d be healed sofast.
Heather C asks: Why are manhole covers round? Okay, totally joking with that one. What I really would like to know is what do you think having to deal with an uncooperative body has taught you about life and living?
Manhole covers are round because manholes are round. Duh.
I think my uncooperative body has taught me that life’s harder than you think it is at 10 (see bliss above). And also: Even the most impatient person in the world will one day be forced to slow down and learn to wait. It’s taught me the value of persistence, the importance of rejoicing in the small victories, and the power of Vicodin. Just kidding about the last one, mostly. It’s also taught me that most anything can be turned into a chair if your knees hurt enough.
Diane asks: Do you like your name or would you change it if no one in your life minded?
Funny you ask, because growing up I hated my name. Quick interesting tidbit: I was born as Jessica. My birth certificate was signed and at the last minute my parents decided I didn’t look like a Jessica. I’m not sure how you decide that based on a bald baby, but they did and spent an extra day at the hospital trying to figure out what I did look like. Apparently, I was a Tracey.
I never knew another Tracey, which made me feel weird and like an outcast in the ’80s when everyone had normal names. (Not like today where the baby name game includes picking out the most random, non-names out there.) On top of that, everyone misspells my name as Tracy, which makes me at least wish my parents went generic and dropped the e.
While I probably wouldn’t change my name now, since I’m attached to it and all, I would have when I was 10. I probably would have changed my name to Jessica or something like Tiffany or Debbie because I loved Tiffany and Debbie Gibson at the time. (And on that note, thank goodness my parents never gave me the option.)
There was one more question, but I think I’ll save it for tomorrow since this post is getting really long. Here’s a preview: Wei-Wei asks, Have you ever told us about how you met The Man? I love the conversations you two have and I’m curious about your relationship.
Stay tuned for the story.
For you: Pick one of these questions and answer it in the comments.
Edited to add: Check out my Q&A with the lovely Andrea on her blog. Then browse there for her killer baked goods. Then come back here and thank me—because she’s a genius in the kitchen.
19 comments
I love the ability you picked. I’m not sure I would’ve thought of that, but it’s totally one of the best! I could really use that…well, then again, who couldn’t!
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I think I’d like my name to be something memorable like Madonna, Beyonce or Cher. Something with a bit of star quality, ya know.
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Tracey Reply:
June 21st, 2010 at 8:10 am
I bet you’d get some really great dinner reservations that way. Ooh, and get bumped to first class a lot.
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I probably would have changed my name to Tiffany or Debbie Gibson in the late 80’s too. Ha. I’m glad I didn’t, but I still don’t like my name.
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Love these! I wanted to change my name as a child. In fact my parents called me by my middle name until they finally relented and allowed me to start going by my first name when I started 1st grade. =)
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I would’ve changed my name at 10 too. My name never fit in the bubbles on standardized tests, people always expected me to be a boy (its Alexan-DRA not DER), and I could never get people to understand why I have a hyphenated last night. Now, I fear marriage because of having to change my name.
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Yay, the long answer for my question! I really am curious, though. Now, to answer one of the questions: Do you like your name or would you change it if no one in your life minded?
I used to not like my name because of it’s non-traditional-ness. I’m Taiwanese (therefore Azn) so I do have a Chinese name. I wouldn’t mind so much, but my sister got a “normal” Western name (Ivy). I sometimes get made fun of (”Wei?” is how Chinese people answer the phone. I’ve gotten lots of jokes about me being a “double telephone” haha.) but honestly I don’t really mind anymore. I like my name now, and I don’t think I would change it, simply because I don’t know what I would change it to.
Oh, and a note on the marriage namechange – I wouldn’t do it. Just sayin’.
Wei-Wei
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Aww, this is cute! Love your responses. Stupid manholes:)
I would like to wake up tomorrow with patience. Maybe I should think of strength or xray vision, but all I want sometimes is to slow down.
Age 10, so true! I mean some of the teenage years could be wiped away for the most part, poor awkward youngsters.
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totally second the ability to self heal!
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When I was 10-13 life was great…I sat around reading Judy Blume books and enjoyed learning about life through Beezus and Ramona.
Then I realized I actually had to study instead of spend the day reading for leisure. Life just went downhill from there!
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I love it
I like the name Tracey a lot…I think you got a good deal there. 
Hm. My favorite age was 19. I started dating my now husband. I was LOVING college after HATING high school. I was playing hockey, drinking with friends every night, not struggling in school…it was a blast
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I love your name! And really, people misspell everything, it’s unavoidable. People spell my first and last name wrong all the time- even people who have known me for years. I’ve just learned to accept it.
I actually hated age 10…In my world, the cattiness of girls started around age 7. These days, I’m sure it probably starts even younger. That’s not really why I hated the age though…it was a bad year.
My best age would be age 1. My first year of life. I don’t remember much of it (if any of it), but nothing beats experiencing everything for the first time. When you can be so happy because you’re playing with a spoon, you know life is good.
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fun info about you especially your name!
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One of my favourite professors is named Tracy (without the “e”, sorry!). She said that one of the things she liked about her name is that the word “trace” is in it- she thought it was fitting as a communications professor; it’s the notion that wherever she goes, she leaves a “trace” of herself. I like that idea.
I kinda like having a totally unique name… although whenever people say the name “Megan”, I always think they’re talking to me, heh.
Am looking forward to hearing the relationship story!
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Tracey Reply:
June 21st, 2010 at 9:38 pm
I love your professor’s way of thinking about her name. I’m going to think of my nickname–Trace–that way.
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I like this post. The questions are good. And the answers better.
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I think that’s funny that your parents changed their minds at the last minute! Mine wanted to name me Carol Sue. Seriously. I’m soooo glad they changed their minds. I can’t imagine going through life as Carol Sue (both names said together!)
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My favorite age is the one I am right now – age 37. Aside from having to got to work and then come home to be a slave-maid to my children, I really like who I’ve become after being confused about it for so long. I like me at 37. And 38 will be even better.
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What a great answer to my question! I loved it! And you are so right that at age 10 girls haven’t reached the smart eleck stage yet. And I read all of those books too…SO good!!!
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