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It was mid-2004. I was early in my career as a public radio reporter and applying for literally every job opening I saw. I wasn’t having much luck until I heard back one day from a small station in Norman, Oklahoma.
“Norman, Oklahoma,” I remember telling my mom. “It sounds like the most boring place in the world.” I had to consult a map to get my geography straight, cause that entire middle section of the United States was a bit of a blur for me at the time. But to make a long story short, I ended up getting hired as News Director and would spend the next five years covering everything from tornadoes to state politics to the annual prison rodeo.
On the latest episode of Far From Home, I’m sharing two stories I produced from this region that outsiders often regard as simply “flyover country.”
First, I get to experience noodling, a kind of crazy, unusual, and dangerous traditional method of catching giant catfish.
Then I confront my fears by going on a snake hunt in the hills of southwest Oklahoma at the Mangum Rattlesnake Derby.
Although the culture, politics, and geography of Oklahoma were so incredibly different from anything I had ever experienced growing up on the East Coast, I grew over time to really value my time there, cause it helped me become a better journalist and a better person!
BONUS EPISODE: As I was digging through my archives, I also came across another story from my time in Oklahoma, where I paid a visit to the world’s only behind-the-walls prison rodeo.