Well, we finally got her! When I tried to get her to come forward for an interview, he refused. Now she shows up unannounced. She’s quite a character. 

Robert: There’s a big woman here with glasses and short hair.

Me: Oh.

I was surprised because I wasn’t planning to start out with a celebrity interview.

Robert: She shows herself at a podium like she’s done speaking engagements. She talks about her being an atheist. She’s a little bit standoffish. That’s the way she comes across to me. Her name starts with an M, but I didn’t hear the full name.

Me: Madalyn O’Hair?

Madalyn: That is my name.

Me: We tried to interview you before, but you refused us. Are you willing to—

Madalyn: Because I wasn’t ready.

Me: You weren’t ready? Why is that?

Madalyn: Let’s just call it pride.

Me: Ah, of course. So are you an atheist now or do you believe in life after death?

Kind of a silly question, but…

Madalyn: Yes, I’m still an atheist.

Me: What do you mean?

Madalyn: A leopard doesn’t lose its spots.

Me: Yeah, but how can you be an atheist and be talking from the afterlife?

Madalyn: Listen, I just redefined what an atheist means: that there is no God.

Very convenient.

Me: You mean no God as in the humanlike one sitting on a big throne?

Madalyn: That’s bullshit. Man created that version.

Robert (chuckling): She’s getting a little bit pissy!

Me: Would you believe in a God that’s like a collective consciousness like Source Energy?

Robert: I’m sorry if I act a little gruff, but it’s because that’s how she’s making me feel.

Me: Oh, okay.

Madalyn: Listen; of course there is a collective consciousness! Who we are as individuals are all linked together, so you can think of God as a big brain.

Me: So you’re an atheist in that you don’t believe in a God sitting on a throne.

She shrugs her hands and grimaces as if disgusted by the thought.

Me: So you and I have the same belief, but I don’t call myself an atheist. I believe God is us, a collective consciousness, so this is about semantics, I guess.

Madalyn: I have a problem, personally, with this idea of a figurehead lording over everyone else. I’m my own boss. No God is going to be a boss over me!

Me: Yeah.

Better move on before she blows a gasket.

Me: Tell me about your death.

Robert: Did she get shot?

Me: I don’t know. It was some sort of murder.

I read how she, her son and granddaughter suddenly disappeared and were later found murdered.

Me: Can you tell me what happened?

Madalyn: I don’t want to come off as rude, but that’s a family matter.

Me: Oh, okay.

Robert (laughing): She’s not an easy woman!

Me: I’m not going to get much out of you, am I?

Madalyn: I just wanted to give you my two cents.

Me: Well why did they murder you? Or maybe it was just one murderer.

Madalyn: Well, I liked to shoot my mouth off.

Me: And they just got mad at you?

Madalyn: I made a lot of people angry.

Robert: What did you do in life, because I’m not familiar with you?

Madalyn: You can call me an activist of sorts.

Me: Yeah, I think she was an activist for a group called American Atheists.

Robert: Oh, okay.

Me: Are you proud of the work you did with them?

Madalyn: I’m a proud woman, so of course I’m going to be proud.

Robert: You seem very angry.

Me: Aw, you don’t have to be angry with us.

Madalyn: I don’t mean to come off as angry. This is just who I am.

Me: Oh, I see. So maybe you’re just assertive.

Madalyn: Yes, I’m very assertive, and it rubs people the wrong way sometimes.

Me: Aw, that’s a shame.

Madalyn: But I’m not going to apologize for who the hell I am.

Me: Nor should you.

Robert laughs.

Robert: She cusses a bunch!

Me: When you look back on your life, do you have any regrets?

Madalyn: Hell no.

Me: Really? None?

Madalyn: No.

Me: I don’t understand how a spirit can have that kind of pride. It seems so ego based. Why do you have this hubris?

Madalyn: Let’s me help you understand. You’re misinterpreting what you’re associating with ego. I’m just being who I am.

Me: Okay.

Madalyn: That’s just who I am. If other people judge me for who I am, then they are living in ego.

Me: So it’s not like a false pride?

Madalyn: No. Now I’ll tell you what. What shaped my personality over all my lifetimes, including the one I just lived was that I felt I had to be strong, and sometimes strength comes off as cocky. That’s everyone else’s baggage, not mine. I learned a long time ago to let go of everybody else’s stuff because you have enough to carry for yourself.

Me: That’s true.

Madalyn: And here’s what I want to tell you. Some of the blog members—

Me: Oh yeah. Okay.

Madalyn: Or it can be more general. People need to learn to stand up for their damn self. Stop letting people run you the hell over. I guess this sounds like tough love, but sometimes you have to grow a pair. You have to learn that you have a backbone and stop letting people run you down.

She most definitely has a pair. Or two. Part Two tomorrow!