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Kicking That Kactus

Kicking That Kactus

By: Shane Mott
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About this listen

From the attic of her sister’s house in Delaware, writer and emotional essayist "Sunshane" tells true stories that are sometimes funny, sometimes gutting, but always honest. This isn’t a podcast about how she turned her life around. It’s about how she’s still trying. Through a mix of humor, heartache, and the occasional inflatable doll, Shane peels back the layers of family, relationships, and what happens when the plan blows up but the cat still needs feeding. Season One: From the Attic with Love Each episode is a personal essay—short, sharp, and shamelessly human. Some will make you laugh. Some won’t. All of them will make you feel less alone in your own weird, beautiful mess. New episodes drop every other Monday. Come for the punchlines. Stay for the bruises.Copyright 2025 Shane Mott Social Sciences
Episodes
  • She Has to Die
    Oct 28 2025

    When your kid makes a decision that has you questioning both her judgment and your parenting résumé, what do you do? If you’re me, you white-knuckle the steering wheel, recall the time your sister had to literally let go of her daughter during a heart transplant, and realize that every kind of motherhood comes down to the same impossible thing—learning how to release.

    This episode drifts between humor and heartbreak: Baltimore beltways, bad parental options, and the haunting beauty of a child’s second chance at life. It’s about what it means to let go before you’re ready… and why that might be the bravest part of love.

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    18 mins
  • The Day I Blew Barbie
    Oct 14 2025

    What starts with a McDonald’s coffee catastrophe turns into an unexpected lesson on friendship, healing, and the kind of laughter that cleans the soul better than any janitorial spray ever could.

    This week, I share how blowing Barbie (yes, that’s really what happened) taught me that sometimes the messes in life are the moments that dry us off, lift us up, and show us we belong.

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    22 mins
  • The Blow-Up Doll Caper
    Sep 30 2025

    Ever wake up with a hangover, a cat giving you side-eye, and a crime scene in your own shower? Jack did. And the prime suspect may—or may not—be the blonde from last night…or his cat…or literally anyone.

    In this episode, I share the absurd origin story of my very first whodunit: “Hairy-Backed Jack and the Case of the Missing Blow-Up Doll.”

    It’s equal parts Agatha Christie spoof, Sedaris-style confession, and an ode to that strange little monkey in my brain that coughs up stories at 6 a.m.

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    20 mins
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