Hey guys! The amazing @podcastdeafjamz went through and took diction of my February 1st guest episode on We Are the Weirdos, Mister for anyone who wants it! I appreciate this so much. Part Two will be made available within the week.
Hey listeners! It's time for another episode of We Are The Weirdos, Mister. I'm your host, Lilly Campbell. Carrie sadly couldn't be here this episode, but my special guest for today is going to help me out.
You know her as one half of the paranormal phenomena investigators, Modern Illusory Network, and she knows all about being strange and unusual herself. I'm gonna yap it up with Maya Clearwater! For the next half hour we're going to dive into what makes Maya tick. And maybe, if we're lucky, we'll get an insider's tip about what's up next?
I can't say yet! We're still working on the logistics part of the next trip, and I don't like to jinx it by announcing before our ducks are in a row.
[Lilly: But something is coming up soon, right? A new trip?] Oh yeah. We're planning a new trip just in time for spring.
What are some things that you can't live without on a trip?
Does Tay count? I couldn't do any of this without him. But if he's a given, and the equipment is too, then I'd have to go snacks! I might act like Velma or Daphne, especially with my post-it lists, but really I'm Scooby. I need my snacks to get me through most things. Facing the unknown takes a lot out of a girl!
[Lilly: You do go through a lot of snacks. And post-it notes. Do you get a kickback from them?] Hah! I wish. Post-It company, if you're listening, I will totally do live streamed commercials for you in exchange for unlimited post-its.
I also need music. A good Spotify playlist and one earbud in really helps ground me and shove bad juju away if I get freaked out. Which is a huge reason I'm always asking fans for music recs.
Speaking of music, can you name three songs that encompass who you feel you are?
Oh! You're asking for a personal playlist? But only three songs? [laughing] Can I do five?
[Lilly: You can do a whole album -- no, but seriously five is cool.] Yay! Um...let's see. Black Magic Woman by Santana for sure, Rebel Rebel by David Bowie, Baila Esta Cumbia by Selena -- my mom taught me how to dance to Selena CDs -- and...um..Grrrl Like by Dope Saint Jude. Oh! And Cosmic Dancer by T Rex, though now it's a cover that's the love of my musical life. Valerie June's cover of that song is effing AMAZING. Everybody go listen to that as soon as you're done listening to us.
[Lilly: Or while you're listening to us. I know some people who have both going on! As long as you pay attention here.]
Maya, you mentioned your mom. We know that you and Tayson had decided to create MIN based off a random thought of Tayson's. But your mom was another reason you got into all of this, right?
Yeah! Actually, she's a big reason I'm the Existentialist to his Solipsist. My mom was raised Catholic -- same as my dad -- but her mom had been the neighborhood healing woman. You had a cold you couldn't get to the doctor for? She had a tea for that. That sort of thing. Her mom's mom was the village bruja. So my mom grew up believing in the Christian idea of god as having a hand in all things great and small...but also with the notion that god put things on this earth -- herbs, plants, so on -- for his people to use and help other people.
[Lilly: God helps them that helps themselves?] Exactly that, mixed in with the whole idea of everyone being a brother to one another.
She taught me some stuff too when I was younger, but died when I was 13. So I dove into studying other things for myself. Partially because it was a way to stay connected to her and partially because she just ignited that curiosity.
How did your dad take this? He's more of a traditionalist?
Oh man. He hated it at first. But we were both mourning in our own ways. We still don't always see eye to eye about me running around and exploring these haunted places and weird phenomena..he'd rather I got first chair violin in the symphony. I try to remind him that I could be rebelling in such worse ways.