The Escape Pod

Parent's Obligatory "I Love You's" - Bonus Ep.3

Problem Parents – Ep. 5

You’ve likely heard or used the phrase “problem child” in discussing a kid who creates challenges at home, school, or elsewhere, but in some families a parent (or two!) can be the kindling for chaos. In this episode, Escape Pod co-host Charity describes life in her household through her teenage years, how higher education (and her bedroom window) helped her escape those unhealthy cycles, and how it all influences the work she does now. 
 
SPOILER ALERT: Thirty years after the violent altercation that turned her into the escape artist she is today, she still says nice things about her dad. Why? Listen to find out! 
  
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers: 
Topic #1 4:40 – “Not everybody’s cut out for parenthood”; Charity’s teen parents 
Topic #2 23:00 – Charity describes Dad’s “unique” way of expressing disapproval 
Topic #3 34:15 – Charity makes her escape 
Topic #4 1:04:30 – A Lighter Note: Escape to a good night’s sleep 
 
Episode Link & Contact Information 
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.  
https://www.escapepod.live  
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live  
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live

Poop Duty - Ep.4

Poop Duty: Shart Art on display and the people who have to deal with it – Ep. 4 
We’re heavy on the “aumedy” of traumedy in this episode of the Escape Pod! People “unload” their problems in a variety of ways. Podcast guest Chad, a veteran of the human services sector, brings some humor to the Escape Pod with true tales of bad bathroom behavior taken to new lows – sometimes even to public spaces. We consider the “whys” behind such acts and laugh a lot along the way because – as the saying goes – if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry! 
 
*DISCLAIMER: The behaviors of the (anonymous) individuals discussed in this episode are not reflective of the majority of people who struggle with poverty, homelessness, and mental health issues. These are special cases that, in hindsight, give us a good chuckle. 
 
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers: 
Topic #1 4:58 – Trigger warning: feces.  
Topic #2 7:02 – First time a “parting gift” included poo 
Topic #3 27:22 – Chad provides some insight into his tumultuous early years 
Topic #4 38:58 – Possible “whys” behind this bad behavior 
Resources & Links 
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.  
https://www.escapepod.live  
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live  
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live

Mom's Always Right - Ep.3

Summary of Episode 
April 2014: The “bubble” that is Murrysville, PA, bursts when a 16-year-old student goes on a mass stabbing rampage at a local high school, injuring nearly two dozen people but traumatizing many more in the school and community. On this episode, co-hosts Charity and Julie welcome a guest into the Escape Pod – a mom whose son witnessed and escaped the horror in the hallways that day. 
 
 
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers: 
 
Topic #1 4:50 - Charity sets the scene at Franklin Regional H.S. on April 9, 2014 
Topic #2 11:25 - Podcast guest Teresa talks about her son Drew’s experience as a student and witness to the events of that day 
Topic #3 28:20 – Many months later, a movie about 9/11 sparks an unexpected reaction from Drew 
Topic #4 35:11 – Teresa explains how, as a mom, she dealt with Drew’s trauma 
Resources & Links 
https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/multiple-students-reported-stabbed-at-franklin-regional-high-school/  
https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/nine-years-marked-since-franklin-regional-high-school-stabbings/  
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/10/us/stabbings-franklin-regional-high-school-murrysville.html  
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.  
https://www.escapepod.live  
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live  
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live  

NOT Puppy Love: When teen dating turns violent – Ep. 2

Summary of Episode 
An estimated 1 in 12 teens are victims of dating violence. In this episode, Escape Pod co-host Charity shares her own experience with a high school boyfriend who, on their first (and last) anniversary, made her fear for her life; plus, a Pennsylvania teen tries to end a relationship but meets a tragic end at a train station; and we offer a few tips to help people, regardless of age, avoid and – if needed – escape these difficult situations. 
 
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers: 
Topic #1 6:33 – Charity discusses “craving” the attention of men 
Topic #2 12:12 – Warning signs! Prince Charming becomes way too possessive 
Topic #3 29:45 – A teenage relationship in Pennsylvania turns fatal 
Topic #4 33:00 – Tips to avoid and/or escape when a relationship needs to end 
Resources & Links 
 
https://www.nsvrc.org/blogs/teen-dating-violence-prevention-resources-2022#:~:text=Over%2071%25%20of%20women%20and,under%20the%20age%20of%2025.  
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/teendatingviolence/fastfact.html  
https://www.fox29.com/news/philadelphia-man-convicted-of-first-degree-murder-in-ex-girlfriends-slaying-outside-train-station  
https://www.inquirer.com/news/morgan-mccaffery-teen-dating-violence-philadelphia-montgomery-county-20200827.html  
https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/murder-trial-stabbing-gilbert-newton-iii-morgan-mccaffery-guilty/  
 
Call to Action, Episode Link & Contact Information 
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.  
Share this episode: https://escapepodtraumedy.podbean.com/e/notpuppylove
General email: justbecause@escapepod.live 
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live  

The Wheels on the Bus Go Bang, Bang, Bang! - Ep.1

The Gist of It: Podcast co-host Charity wants to escape her 13-year-old self, a girl who – in trying to gain the attention of her father and friends – tested a theory involving a bottle rocket and a school bus. Find out if her experiment worked and hear about other tales of true crime on the premier episode of the Escape Pod, “The Wheels on the Bus Go Bang, Bang, Bang”. 
 
Resources & Links 
Aldine, TX Sexual Assault on School Bus:
https://abc13.com/aldine-isd-elementary-student-raped-juvenile-sexually-assault-6-year-old-boy-abused-on-school-bus-child-protective-services/12778804/ 
https://www.insideedition.com/texas-11-year-old-charged-after-bus-footage-allegedly-reveals-sexual-assault-of-6-year-old-report 
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/criminal-justice/2023/02/16/443938/aldine-isd-bus-sexual-assault-11-year-old-charged-in-attack-six-year-old/  
Oakland, CA Student Set on Fire:
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/sasha-fleischman-suspect-richard-thomas-pleads-no-contest-sentenced-to-7-years/70810/ 
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/01/magazine/the-fire-on-the-57-bus-in-oakland.html  
 
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.  
 
Share this episode: https://escapepodtraumedy.podbean.com/e/wheelsonbus
 
GET IN TOUCH WITH US!
General email: justbecause@escapepod.live 
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live  

Introduction to the Escape Pod

Meet Julie and Charity. They both work at OneHeart, a 4-acre transformation campus with this mission:
Empowering people to overcome crisis and achieve self-sustainability.
The purpose of the OneHeart transformation campus is to elevate the human spirit and the spirit of the Rapid City community.
By providing transitional housing and co-locating a variety of services - from addiction and mental health counseling to life skills and job training - we can more efficiently, effectively and collectively help our neighbors without homes move into permanent housing and a better quality of life.
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That mission is accomplished in a lot of different ways, but plain and simply by removing and reducing as many of the barriers as possible that keep people stuck in the poverty hamster wheel. We recognize the trauma experienced by the people we serve – trauma that leads to "crisis brain" – and that’s part of the inspiration behind the Escape Pod. It's escaping those negative paths and influences. Escaping poverty in general. Escaping crisis brain and all those things that are holding us back. Even escaping our own thoughts!
 
Interested in learning more about OneHeart | A place for hope and healingvisit our website at https://oneheartrc.org