Which Irascible Careworn Cat Are You? [Cait-bbatical Vol. 3]

Fellow Deathlings,

It is I, Ericka, Caitlin’s colleague and intrepid reporter. For this month’s sabbatical check-in, I proposed an interview with Caitlin– asking her the questions the masses (that’s you, folks) really want to know.

What follows is a lightly edited transcript of our conversation.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the following scale, how are you feeling today?

Caitlin:  Thank you so much for asking, Ericka. I'm going to say that I resonate most with the cat in number three.

The cat in number four is existentially grumpy. The dog in number seven is blissfully happy. The otter in number nine is glum. I feel most like the cat in three because this is a cat in a holding pattern. You could say it's smiling, but it's not really smiling; there's a blank formlessness, liminal space behind its eyes. It's just not sure what's going to happen next. In my mind, it's making the noise [Author’s note: Caitlin proceeded to make a noise that sounded remarkably like Tina Belcher’s nervous groan on Bob’s Burgers], and that is how I feel right now.

Your sabbatical should be giving you plenty of time to introspect (in theory at least); have you made any startling self-realizations or discovered any crazy new talents (like standing on your head)?

Caitlin: I certainly have not discovered any crazy new talent. Once again, I really expected beautiful, heartwarming things to emerge from my sabbatical– like talents and hobbies– and absolutely nothing has. I think that's the harsh reality of my sabbatical, unless you count rewatching bad 90s romcoms as a hobby or talent. Nothing else has emerged.

But I'm trying to not be too judgmental about this. Not only have I not discovered any new talent, I feel very disconnected from my old talents!

I sat in a coffee shop for an hour today just staring into space, thinking about what I actually am good at and not coming up with any good answers. Kind of like, again, going back to that cat in number three, just making that face, thinking about what I'm good at and not coming up with anything. And I don't want people to think that's bad or that I'm feeling sorry for myself; it's more just that I hope it's the weird calm before the storm of self-realization and and amping up again and reconnecting with what is valuable to me.

Last November people got a chance to see (and buy) some of your possessions (you can no longer hide your love of taxidermy– if you ever did). What is the weirdest thing you currently own and why?

Caitlin: Honestly, I've had to buy some things since moving to the East Coast, but since I'm not 100 % sure where I'll end up, even though I really love the East Coast, I haven't committed to anything fabulous and weird yet.

Actually, I would say the weirdest thing I own, just looking at it as a whole, is like 20 books on a very specific subject that I did not own several months ago, all connected to this new project that I'm thinking about and working on. I think from the outside, people would be like, ‘It's weird that you own 20 books on this very specific subject’, but not to me. And probably not to any of our patrons, who would expect nothing less.

If you could tell 18-year-old Caitlin anything, what would you say?

Caitlin: I don't actually have any advice for 18-year-old Caitlin. I have advice for 34-year-old Caitlin, which is:

‘Don't plow through the pandemic working– take a break earlier. Don't get yourself to the point that you're burnt out because, if anything, this has taught me, especially with patrons, that help and support and kindness is out there! And that ‘working your little hoofies to the quick’, as my mom would say, is not a prerequisite for making a contribution to culture and society.’

The people want to know, just how do you achieve your signature hairdo; blow drying, air drying, ancient magic, etc.?

Caitlin: Lately my hair has not been behaving as it once was. It seems like my hair is also on sabbatical, to be honest. Sigh.

And on that note I will wrap up our Q&A session for today.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Do you have a burning question for Caitlin? Drop it in the chat below. It might be featured in our next edition. Otherwise, stay tuned for more updates live from the existential pit that is Caitlin’s sabbatical!