Reader of the Week: Meet Tracey

There was such an overwhelming response when I asked readers to introduce themselves on a weekend open thread that I decided to give you all a weekly column to do just that. I’ve always said this site wouldn’t be what it is without the engagement and participation of its readers and this column is the place to learn more about who you are what makes you tick. After the jump, let’s meet Tracey.

 

 

1. What’s your name, age and whereabouts?

I’m Tracey on the site and Tracey in real life – Tracey Morris. I’m 44-years-old and live in Detroit.

2. What’s your relationship status?

Divorced (Yay!) and currently not dating. (Sigh….)

3. How do you spend your weekdays?

I’m an executive administrative assistant for a payroll company, and I write poetry on my blog, href=”http://www.viewofthetem.blogspot.com”>The View of the TEM.

4. How do you spend your free time?

Writing, volunteering at a service that reads for the blind, studying writing, hanging out with my family and friends, writing for my blog, acting as a sometime model for my cousin, Richard Lewis – a very successful and talented artist (he painted the picture of me above; If you’re interested in seeing more of his work, you can click on the link to the Kresge Arts in Detroit website.), writing, caring for my three cats, writing….

5. What are your top likes and dislikes?

Likes: Writing – it’s something I’ve done off and on since high school, but I’m just becoming serious about it; classic movies – it’s my dream to be a guest host on TCM; humor – anything or anyone that makes me laugh is a treasure; my family – we’re very small (mom, sister, three cousins who are like siblings, aunt), so we’re very close; volunteering – Shirley Chisholm said it best, “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth”; Music – all kinds and genres, but I can’t sing or play a note; pets – I have three cats (Bucky – 11, Cal – 10, and Muffin – 4) — my sister (who lives above me) has two dogs (Boot-C and Blond-E, both 14) — and I wish I could have more; NPR – another dream is to be a guest on “Fresh Air,” “Snap Judgment,” or “Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me….” My guilty pleasure is cheesy reality shows like America’s Next Top Model and Snapped.

Dislikes: Politics – the current “whatever it is, I’m against it” mentality that has taken over our government is wearing me – and the country – out; dishonest people – it’s why I’m divorced, plus lies are too much work with too much hurt for too little result; cooking – my mom and sister are excellent cooks (taught by my late grandmother) and one of my cousins runs a catering business, but the cooking gene skipped me (guess someone had to be the tester after the cooking was done); boredom – if I have nothing to do, I go out of my mind, so I have to keep busy; mornings – they start too early.

6. What’s the best relationship advice you’ve ever been given?

It’s actually two pieces. My mom always told me to make sure that a man always respects you, treats you well and makes you happy and do the same for him. And I recently saw a quote on a calendar that I thought spoke volumes: “Never, ever go to bed with a man on the first date. Never. Unless you really want to.”

7. What’s the best relationship lesson you’ve ever learned?

Don’t disregard your gut instincts. If you feel like something’s wrong, something’s wrong. If you feel like things are going well, things are going well.

8. Besides DearWendy.com, what are some of your favorite websites?

Besides yours (which I read everyday), I love Josh Reads (a site that spoofs comic strips), my three local papers (Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, and Metro Times), Freekibble, U-Comics, The Onion, Mrs. O., Lisa deMoraes and Carolyn Hax in the Washington Post, MSNBC, Savage Love, Ask Amy, Yahoo’s Shine, and (if I may make a shameless plug, my site – The View of the TEM. I’m having some trouble getting Google to list my site on their search engine, so they are not one of my favorites right now. If anyone has any suggestions on how to get them to list it, I’d really appreciate it.

*If you’d like to be a Reader of the Week, shoot me an email at [email protected] with “Reader of the Week” in the subject line and I’ll send you some questions to answer.