Middle of Everywhere

Hospice care is a somewhat misunderstood medical practice in this country.  People often think it’s all about dying, or the opposite- keeping a dying patient alive.  Neither of these perceptions are accurate.  In this episode, we are focusing on what hospice care entails by sitting down with the people who provide it – hospice nurses. Rural areas have a higher need for hospice care as there are simply more people over the age of 65 living here.  The benefits of having hospice care available to a community are surprisingly large, even for the nurses who work there.  Hospice nurses learn to treat for quality of life rather than quantity of life and, therein, reevaluate their own healthcare directives.  They spend a good part of their practice educating and communing with families. They even experience mental and  spiritual growth in their own lives from performing these services.  And the remarkable events that take place around the time of a death have given many of these women a deeper sense of faith. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories.  Learn more about us at middleofeverywherepod.org. Subscribe wherever you get your podcast.

Women and girls in rural communities across the United States are being forever changed by substance misuse. Sadly, it’s a story with which many are becoming increasingly familiar. Why are women in rural places being incarcerated for substances at such high rates? What can communities do to intervene and help? What resources are available? We explore these troublesome questions and find some equally troubling answers. We hear from a former substance misuser who shares a solution that helped change her life, and how her struggle with substances is a required background for her becoming a care provider to women currently trying to stay sober.  And we learn how her affliction has impacted other care providers in her community. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories.  Learn more about us at middleofeverywherepod.org. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

This week we're sharing a previously released episode from our first season. We hear from a woman that embarked on a journey to save and rehabilitate a historic Black hotel from demolition. This journey was life-changing for her as it coincided with the rehabilitation of her own body after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Betty Dobson shares with us what it took to save the Hotel Metropolitan in Paducah, Kentucky and how the mission of saving the hotel and all its history helped with emotional healing as well as her own physical wellness.  Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories.  Learn more about us at middleofeverywherepod.org. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Having “standing” under the law is a very important legal concept. For many years, only people had standing and could bring a complaint before the court. But, could something like the Colorado River have standing? We start Season 2 by exploring approaches and stories related to the “rights of nature,” especially rivers. We discuss the essay, “Should Trees Have Standing?” and the 150-year legal battle of a Maori tribe to protect their ancestral river.

Welcome to Season 2 of Middle of Everywhere!  This season we explore America’s rivers and the stories that lie beneath their surface. We learn how we’ve shaped our rivers and how they have shaped us. We hear stories of discovery, strength, and heartbreak all surrounding these waterways.  Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories.  Learn more about us at middleofeverywherepod.org. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

The end of the season is almost here and we have one quick request. Find us at our website at middleofeverywherepod.org. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories.  

OB deserts are a plague that seems to be infecting more and more of the United States, in rural areas in particular.  If you’ve never heard of an OB desert, you’re not alone.  OB deserts are counties that lack any hospital or birth center with obstetric care or any obstetric providers.   The US leads among developed countries in maternal and infant mortality and morbidity and these deserts are a likely contributor.  Some might say this is due to a healthcare system that caters to those with money and means.  So how do we protect mothers who lack the resources to access maternal care?  Mothers who, because of the way they live, may be at higher risk already? In this episode, we’re featuring an innovative new program out of rural Indiana, that has taken steps toward decreasing the maternal and infant mortality and morbidity in their county, which has been declared an OB desert.  And it’s all headed up by the fire department. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories.  Learn more about us at middleofeverywherepod.org. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Legislation is taking effect across the country that restricts transgender kids and their parents regarding gender-affirming healthcare  How will these bills affect trans kids' long-term health?  While we can’t predict the outcomes for these kids, we can look to the people who lived most of their lives without gender-affirming care to understand the repercussions.  While access to trans-focused healthcare has increased in recent years, it is still very difficult for people to find, especially in rural areas.  The cause of those difficulties isn’t simply geographic;  stigma against gender-affirming care plagues rural areas in particular.  In this episode, we’ll hear two personal stories. In one, we’ll journey through the long life of a woman who didn’t transition until age 65.  The high price of her gender-affirming care could never compare with the cost of living a lifetime in hiding.  Ultimately, securing gender-confirmation care became an act of survival, her choice to continue living.  We’ll also hear from a fourteen year old trans boy and his family who are being impacted by recent legislation in Kentucky and Tennessee.  How does the law shape the life of a child who never wanted to be in the public eye?  Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories.  Learn more about us at middleofeverywherepod.org. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

What do you know about the history of abortion in rural America? What about the women who relied on it?  Imagine reaching into the past and conjuring the spirit of a woman who lived this history. In this episode, we’ll hear writer, Tamara Dean, discuss her essay “Safer Than Childbirth”, in which she wrote about discovering the history of, and the many lives that relied on abortion. In the process of researching for the essay, Tamara learned that legal abortion in America was more of a practice than a procedure.  Local flora offered women access to abortifacients–wisdom passed down by early indigenous peoples.  Less than two centuries ago, there had never been laws proposed in this country attempting to limit abortion. But, with the medicalization of childbirth, came proposals to ban abortion, state by state, eventually redefining abortion rights in America. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories.  Learn more about us at middleofeverywherepod.org. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

We’re about to release the rest of our third season! We’re hearing from women near and far about how living in rural America affects their health. In this trailer, you’ll hear just a few of the voices of people who are invested in living and thriving in our rural areas. Look for our next episode to come out on March 22.   Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Host Ariel Lavery’s mail carrier is a cheerful, everyday woman who has walked roads less traveled when it comes to her reproductive journey.  From her son’s disabilities, to becoming a surrogate, to choosing to sterilize herself, her experience with the U.S. healthcare system has been diverse and frustrating.  Yet, her outlook on solutions to issues she has faced may surprise you.   In this episode, we hear from Sam and her conservative husband Brian on their perceptions of the U.S. healthcare system and how well the system serves its rural patients.  As a couple they represent two states with opposite political sway.  But their belief in women’s rights to access care doesn’t fit neatly within a color coded border.  Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories.  Learn more about us at middleofeverywherepod.org. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Here’s a sneak peek of the first episode of Season 3, dropping Wednesday Feb 1st! Focusing on women’s healthcare in rural communities this season, we open with the story of an everyday woman who’s had a noteworthy reproductive journey.   Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories.  Learn more about us at middleofeverywherepod.org. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

We are here to give you a quick update on some news about the snail darter and our team. Also, we’re looking for voices! Listen in to find out why. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories.  Learn more about us at middleofeverywherepod.org. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Do you love getting lost in shows like Yellowstone or 1883 and dream about that ruff and tumble lifestyle out on the range? Well, you probably know, there’s more to the cowboy lifestyle than meets the eye! Today on the podcast, I’m sharing a fascinating story about real cowboys and the truth about ranching with the help of my friend and acclaimed journalist Melodie Edwards, who hosts the Peabody-nominated podcast The Modern West.  This is the first episode of The Modern West’s newest season, where Melodie explores different kinds of cowboys—from those who chase the dream of becoming “the next rodeo star” to the hardworking (and sometimes intimidating!) ranchers on the homestead. Along the way, Melodie busts all sorts of myths about what it means to measure up to American ideals. Visit The Modern West at https://themodernwest.org/ or listen wherever you get podcasts.

In our final  episode of The Story of Tanasi, and our last episode of the season, we’re back at the lake to find out what this story means for people today.  People who went through the battle to save the LittleT still gather, hailing from all around the country.  And what about that “stupid little fish,” the snail darter (Percina Imostoma Tanasi) around which the whole story revolved?  Today, the case of the snail darter is taught in law classrooms as an introduction to the Endangered Species Act, because “It set the terms.” The snail darter is now surviving in other tributaries maintained by the TVA, but that is not without consequences.  And the Cherokee, who were the first people to rule this valley, are slowly finding their way back, ironically thanks to the taking of their ancient land for the Tellico project. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories.  Learn more about us at middleofeverywherepod.org. Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

None of the new laws coming out of congress in the 60s and 70s could stop the Tellico Dam Project.  But, a different legal approach that sought to protect the religious freedom and sacred sites of the Cherokee could provide a new lifeline.  In this episode, we hear from Eastern Band of Cherokee leaders about uniting with the Tellico farmers and environmental lawyers to honor the river and make one last attempt to stop the dam. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories.  Learn more about us at middleofeverywherepod.org. Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What happens when a radical new environmental law, a tiny endangered fish, and a tenacious young lawyer walk into the highest court in the land? Not what you might expect.  We’ll follow our hero in earth shoes as he journeys through the courts all the way to Washington. He fights alongside the band of farmers who have vowed to fight until there’s nothing left to fight for.  In the process we’ll unveil the system that ensures that government works primarily for the special interests of a few over the many.  Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories.  Learn more about us at middleofeverywherepod.org. Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

In Part 2 of our series we meet some of the people who once called the Little Tennessee River Valley home, and we hear surprising stories about how they were slighted by the Tennessee Valley Authority and bullied out of their homes.  We retrace how the agency came to have unparalleled power over the Tennessee Valley and how some farmers developed so much loathing for and fear of this agency.  After almost fifteen years of fighting they neared the point of giving up. Then, a young lawyer joined the fight with the help of a tiny fish. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories.  Learn more about us at middleofeverywherepod.org. Subscribe in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

What is the story behind silos that stick up out of the middle of a lake in the foothills of the Smokies?  As we tour around this lake, we see more sites, like an old bridge descending into the water, a few markers of a deep history of Cherokee habitation, then large, extravagant houses that overlook the water’s edge. It all helps paint a picture of the complex history that lives under the water’s surface, in what used to be a river valley.  This is the first episode in a series we’re calling The Story of Tanasi.  In this series we’ll follow a decades-long battle that took the river’s people all the way to the Supreme Court as they tried to save their way of life in the river valley.      Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories.  Learn more about us at middleofeverywherepod.org. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

While researching for our season all about rivers, we uncovered a story that, when first reported, seemed straightforward.  But the more we dug in the more we understood that this story required more than one episode. Listen as we give a glimpse of the next several episodes. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories.  Learn more about us at middleofeverywherepod.org. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.