Day 271: Adventures of a Cat-Whiskered Girl

Adventures of a Cat-Whiskered Girl by Daniel Pinkwater.  ISBN: 9780547223247 (ARC - published June 7, 2010).

"Sometimes as you go from one place to another, step into a room or out a door, you suddenly get a mental picture of how you might appear to someone seeing you for the first time." Page 29 (published copy consulted).

There are some days where I really want to know how I appear to other people, and other days where I know I'm better off not knowing.  On some level I already know how I appear to other people: I'm a fat woman, dressed in shabby, but clean jeans and t-shirt.  What goes from there depends on the day.  Most days I'm in a fairly good mood so people probably have a better opinion of me on those days than others.  It is easier to have a positive opinion of someone who already seems to have a positive opinion of themselves.  It's almost unfortunate that it works out that way since those with negative opinions could probably use the ego boost.

Then of course, there's the company I keep.  I imagine when I go out to the store with my room mate and we buy a cart full of cat food, kitty litter, and health food we probably get some people pegging us as a lesbian couple.  Sure, we fit the stereotype, or at least one of them, but it is interesting to me that people could perceive of me as something I'm not, even though I'm guilty of doing the same thing.  Somehow I don't think our world would be any better if we knew how we appeared to other people.  Look at the people who have approval ratings and magazine articles about them.  They aren't particularly well adjusted or happy people for the most part.  I think maybe I'd rather wonder how I appear to others, than to actually know.

My review can be found at Goodreads.
LibsNote: Free ARC was obtained at ALA 2010 from publisher's booth.