Tracy, where are you?

G’day!

Here’s what’s on my mind.

I have searched the internet the best I know how for my friend Tracy, but to no avail.

She’s from Edinburgh, Scotland and lived in Reykjavík, Iceland ages ago, from ‘93 to ‘94. That’s where we met. Our friendship started at church were my mum introduced us and I insisted Tracy use my new bike while I travelled to Germany and the States for a few mths to see friends. We were inseperable upon my return, or that’s how I choose to remember things:)

I was, of course, true to form, jealous of her looks and smarts and Gospel knowledge, and so when I sent in my Mormon missionary application papers in 1994 and she joked relentlessly abt me being sent to Scotland, I was not amused, though mostly I was petrified that she’d be right. Nothing against Scotland (though I was hoping for Tonga or the Middle East) but she was always right!!! This also did not amuse me.

You can imagine the depths of my perceived humiliation to have to tell her she’d been right all along when I finally got the papers which invited me to serve in the Scotland Edinburgh Mission. She was rather smug abt the whole affair, understandably:) I remember bringing the papers to her, wanting this to be My Moment to Shine, but knowing it would never pan out as I wanted. Bc she was always right! I wanted to pull the papers out and read something fantastic to her, like “Sister Pieper, you’re off to Some Middle Eastern Country, the first sister mish to be sent there! You will not so much proselyte as just learn Arabic and befriend Muslims and folks of other non-Christian religions to help usher in understanding among people, and world peace.” We sat down outside her house, the sun shining in contest with Tracy’s pretty smile as she said: “So, Scotland it is?” Argh!! I was too proud to deal with this in a joking manner or any other manner for that matter. But it wore off, I think.

And I love Scotland.

We lost touch when I, I think, offended her in regards to the way she lived her life upon returning to Scotland, which wasn’t the way a Mormon missionary thought another Mormon or any other person should live.

I genuinely regret this.

I talked to her on the phone in January 1995, that was our last conversation.

I’ve since lived in Edinburgh, where she’s from, and I’ve searched for her on an off. No luck.

Now I had this idea to blog abt her and tag the post with her names, and see if she googles herself, ha!, and finds this and contacts me:) That would be so cool!

Random things abt Tracy:

• She always carried stamps on her for her frequent posting needs. People don’t post their own letters in Iceland in general, despite there being a smattering of post boxes around, so this was noteworthy to me.
• She also carried a camera around at all times. But she didn’t really like pictures being taken of her. And I cannot find one single photo in my vast portfolio of pictures! That’s not good.
• She had a bff in Edin called Iain, as I recall. He loved to dance to disco.
• Ravenscroft Avenue – that’s how I remember her address, but I am not sure. The ‘Raven’-bit is right, though.
• She has a younger brother and a younger sister.
• Her full name, you ask? Tracy Margaret Christina McLay.
• Short, cute, bubbly.
• She had a lovely singing voice. Or wait, could she not sing at all? It was either really good, or really bad:) And I am pretty sure she read music and played the piano a bit, more reasons for me to be jealous. What a time waster, this jealousy is!
• Birthday, I think, in November. Or December? If not 1973, then somewhere close to that year. 1974?

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Now, Tracy, if you find this – pls leave a comment with your email? Or number? Pls? :) I am nice and you will like getting back in touch with me, alright? :)

Much love, Steinunn xx