Giving Thanks in the Messy Middle: What 65 Episodes Have Taught Us About Unity, Humanity, and Newton County- Episode 65
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As 2025 winds toward Thanksgiving and the holiday season settles over Newton County, something feels especially meaningful about this particular episode of The Town Square Podcast. For the first time in months, it’s just the two of us — Trey and Gabriel — back at the table, returning to the roots of what launched this show in the first place: storytelling, tough conversations, humility, grace, and a deep belief that our community is better when we choose unity over uniformity.
This wasn’t just another episode.
It was a pause.
A breath.
A moment to reflect on 65 candid, sometimes messy, always meaningful conversations with leaders, influencers, contrarians, thinkers, servants, and everyday Newtonians who give their best to this place we love.
This episode is our Thanksgiving table — a long, heartfelt conversation filled with gratitude, honesty, humor, reflection, and even some tears. It’s a celebration of how far we’ve come, how much we’ve learned, and how much we still want to accomplish together.
What follows is a full exploration of the themes, stories, and heart behind Episode 65.
Back to Day One: Why We Started This Podcast
Before the first microphone was plugged in, before the first episode aired, before the first guest sat across from us, we had a simple question:
“How do we create a space where people in Newton County can disagree without disrespect?”
This began because we watched neighbors talk past each other online.
We watched conversations break down into insults rather than ideas.
We watched people assume the worst about people they’d never even spoken to.
And we knew there had to be a better way.
The messy middle — the space between extremes — is where most people actually live. It’s where complexity lives. It’s where the truth usually lives. But it’s also the space our culture avoids, because the middle requires humility. It requires letting go of absolute certainty. It requires listening long enough to learn something new.
This podcast started as an experiment:
Could we create a platform where real conversations — nuanced, layered, human conversations — were possible?
Sixty-five episodes later, the answer is yes… and then some.
Humbling Growth: A Community That Was Ready for This
We didn’t expect the response.
Not the thousands of downloads.
Not the messages.
Not the people who stop us in the grocery store.
Not the guests who walk in nervous and walk out relieved.
Newton County was hungry for civil discourse, hungry for depth, hungry for context, hungry for a reprieve from the algorithm-driven extremes that dominate our feeds.
As Gabriel said in this episode:
“It’s humbling to watch people finally feel like there’s a place to have these conversations — a place where people can humanize politics again.”
Long-form conversations make room for nuance.
Nuance makes room for empathy.
Empathy makes room for connection.
Connection makes room for solutions.
That’s the heartbeat of the show.
Why the Messy Middle Matters
The messy middle is not comfortable.
It’s not neat.
It’s not easy.
Being in the middle means you have to acknowledge that your side — your comfort zone — might have blind spots. It means recognizing that someone else, someone raised differently, someone shaped by a different neighborhood or childhood or church or trauma, may see the world differently… and may still have something true to say.
In Episode 65, we reflected on what we’ve seen:
People willing to share perspectives they rarely get to articulate
People with opposing worldviews discovering shared humanity
People who disagree learning to disagree without dehumanizing
People willing to “sit in the tension” rather than run from it
The messy middle isn’t the absence of conflict — it’s the transformation of conflict into conversation.
Episode Highlights: Conversations That Defined Who We Are
We spent a good portion of this episode looking back at some of the most quintessential Town Square conversations — the ones that best represent what we long to do.
Here are some of the standouts we discussed:
Stephanie Lindsey — Courage in the Heat of Controversy
When Newton County’s political climate hit a boiling point, Attorney Stephanie Lindsey walked into our studio with indictments swirling around her name. She sat down, face-to-face, and said:
“Here’s my perspective. Here’s my experience. Here’s my truth.”
No filters.
No rehearsed lines.
No political posturing.
That’s the messy middle. And it took guts.
Marshall McCart — A Different Lens, Same Community
Marshall brought a completely different worldview — politically, culturally, journalistically — and shared it with calmness, self-awareness, and curiosity.
Two very different guests.
Two very different perspectives.
Same table.
Same willingness to talk.
Same messy middle.
Serra Hall — Cutting Through Economic Development Myths
People often assume economic development leaders only want “more chicken restaurants” or fast food chains. Serra clarified misconceptions, explained markets, and shared metrics that most residents have never heard.
That episode helped people understand governance instead of assuming conspiracy.
CEO JaNice Van Ness — Switching Parties and Standing Firm
Few political decisions generate shockwaves like switching parties. The moment JaNice changed her affiliation, the comment sections erupted.
Her episode let people hear why — not the rumor version, but the real version.
Information replaced misinformation.
Understanding replaced speculation.
DEI Episode — Listening Beyond Labels
One of the most formative episodes for Trey personally was our DEI discussion. Gabriel shared what DEI feels like from the inside — not as a political talking point, but as lived experience formed by family history, community dynamics, and racial realities Trey had never personally navigated.
It didn’t change every opinion.
It didn’t erase every disagreement.
But it changed the lens.
And that’s the power of empathy.
DA Randy McGinley & Attorney Kamau Mason — Partners in Solving Youth Gun Violence
Opposite sides of the courtroom.
Opposite life experiences.
Opposite professional roles.
And yet, they came to us together to say:
“There is a problem. We need to talk about it.”
It was raw, honest, and deeply important.
Why Avoiding Hard Topics Hurt Us — And Why We Won’t Do It
We grew up hearing:
“Don’t talk about religion or politics.”
Worst advice ever.
Avoidance doesn’t create harmony — it creates ignorance.
Avoidance doesn’t protect relationships — it erodes trust.
Avoidance doesn’t maintain peace — it builds pressure until it explodes.
The messy middle is our antidote to avoidance.
It’s where:
Misunderstanding gives way to clarity
Assumptions give way to truth
Stereotypes give way to stories
Hatred gives way to humanity
Why Misinformation Is Our Enemy
As Gabriel said:
“You’ll think everything is a conspiracy when you don’t know how things work.”
We’re not here to tell people what to believe.
We’re here to help them understand how things work so they can believe responsibly.
Every time someone listens and says,
“I had no idea — that really helps,”
we win.
Every time a narrative shifts from rumors to reality,
we win.
Every time someone says,
“I don’t agree with them, but now I understand them,”
we win.
The Power of Story: Race, Upbringing, and Seeing Each Other Clearly
Some of the most moving parts of Episode 65 were the personal stories — moments where Trey and Gabriel reflected on how their upbringings shaped them differently.
Gabriel grew up in North Omaha — a historically Black community — surrounded by stories shaped by Jim Crow, racial injustice, and generational trauma.
Trey grew up in rural Newton County, shaped by a different world entirely.
Neither experience is universal.
Neither experience is complete by itself.
But together, they create understanding.
This is what the messy middle does:
It forces us to see that our worldviews are shaped by worlds we didn’t choose.
Empathy is born the moment we say,
“I hadn’t lived that — but I’m willing to listen.”
Gratitude: The Unexpected Theme of Episode 65
Because this episode airs the week before Thanksgiving, we leaned into gratitude. Deep, honest gratitude.
And here are the things we named:
1. We’re thankful for Newton County.
This community listens, engages, critiques, celebrates, and cares.
It’s why this show exists.
2. We’re thankful for our guests.
From elected officials to nonprofit leaders, pastors to police chiefs, activists to influencers — they have trusted us with their stories, even when the topics were emotional or controversial.
3. We’re thankful for our listeners.
Thousands of Newtonians who genuinely want our county to thrive — and who seek understanding instead of outrage.
4. We’re thankful for our sponsors.
People who don’t just write checks, but say:
“We believe in what you’re doing — how can we support you?”
5. We’re thankful for our families.
Because behind every community leader are spouses, children, and loved ones who sacrifice time, energy, and privacy so we can serve publicly.
From Trey’s daughter in the U.S. Marine Corps, to twins about to graduate, to a milestone marriage… to Gabe’s journey through spiritual warfare, near-death health scares, emotional survival, and God’s sustaining grace — this episode held nothing back.
Gabe’s Story: Gratitude for Survival
One of the most powerful parts of Episode 65 came when Gabriel reflected on the past year — a year marked by ambulance rides, heart attack scares, emotional trauma, spiritual attacks, and relentless challenges.
His honesty wasn’t dramatic.
It was pastoral.
Human.
Real.
Sitting in the back of an ambulance the day after his 45th birthday, texting his family goodbye “just in case,” he realized how fragile and precious life is — and how thankful he is simply to still be here.
As Trey reminded him, transparency is ministry.
And his survival is a testimony.
The Bond Between Hosts: Brothers in the Middle
One of the most moving parts of this episode was the acknowledgment of the brotherhood formed between Trey and Gabriel.
Behind the scenes — in parking lots, over late-night calls, through hard seasons, during moments of doubt or exhaustion — this friendship became a lifeline.
This podcast is stronger because the friendship behind it is stronger.
Looking Ahead: The Next Era of Messy Middle Conversations
We’re just getting started.
In Episode 65, we dreamed aloud about what’s next:
Bringing people with opposing views into the same room
Modeling real, respectful debate
Addressing growth, development, schools, public safety, and local politics with honesty
Offering clarity without agenda
Building a healthier civic culture in Newton County
Preparing for massive 2026 elections
Exploring new voices, new sectors, and new perspectives
The messy middle is evolving — and we’re committed to remain right there in the thick of it.
Referenced Episodes You May Want to Revisit
Here are the episodes we directly referenced or discussed:
🎙️ Randy McGinley & Kamu Mason – Teen Gun Violence Conversation
A rare, powerful conversation between a prosecutor and defense attorney.
https://www.thetownsquarepodcast.com/episodes/e48-randy-mcginley-kamau-mason-teen-gun-violence
🎙️ Attorney Stephanie Lindsey – On Indictments & Perspective
A bold, messy, courageous conversation about truth and narrative.
https://www.thetownsquarepodcast.com/episodes/e32-stephanie-lindsey-newton-boc-district-3
🎙️ Marshall McCart – Piedmont Chronicles and Another Viewpoint
A viewpoint from the opposite side of the political spectrum.
https://www.thetownsquarepodcast.com/episodes/e55-marshall-mccart-the-piedmont-chronicles
🎙️ Serra Hall – Newton County Industrial Development Authority
Clearing rumors and explaining how local economic development really works.
https://www.thetownsquarepodcast.com/episodes/e11-serra-hall-newton-ida
🎙️ CEO JaNice Van Ness – Why She Switched Parties
A transparent look at a controversial political decision.
🎙️ DEI Conversation – Trey & Gabriel
A vulnerable, deeply personal discussion about race, empathy, and experience.
https://www.thetownsquarepodcast.com/episodes/e28-the-dei-debate
Advertisers Featured in Episode 65
Luther Rice College & Seminary
Affordable, flexible theological education founded on Scripture.
Website: www.LutherRice.edu
RE/MAX Around Atlanta – LeAnne Long
Expert real estate service with deep Newton County knowledge.
Website: www.leanne-long.com
Appalachia Group Insurance
Local, trusted insurance agency serving families and businesses.
Email Bobby@appgroupins.com
Final Thoughts: Gratitude for the Journey
As Episode 65 closes, Trey and Gabriel wrap up with pure, unfiltered gratitude.
Gratitude for each other.
Gratitude for their families.
Gratitude for their faith.
Gratitude for their community.
Gratitude for the chance to sit at this table, week after week, inviting Newton County into the messy middle.
This podcast isn’t perfect — and it shouldn’t be.
It’s human.
It’s honest.
It’s messy.
It’s real.
And that’s exactly what makes it powerful.
Happy Thanksgiving, Newton County.
From the Town Square Podcast — we are grateful for you.
