More Than Medicine: Wade Crowley

Someone hands you their life for a few hours and you only get one chance to be steady. That’s the reality for Wade Crowley, a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) serving patients in Owensboro, Kentucky, and our conversation goes way beyond job titles into what it feels like to carry responsibility when people are scared.

We talk about what makes Owensboro feel like Owensboro: the small town connection, the familiar faces, and the community fabric that shows up in hospital hallways as much as it does at local events. Wade shares how growing up on a Hopkins County farm shaped his work ethic, why a middle school project helped set his career direction early, and what the CRNA path really looks like through nursing school, ICU experience, and high-pressure training.

Then we get honest about the emotional side of anesthesia and leadership. Wade explains how he “reads the room” with patients who fear not waking up, why calm is part of the care, and how faith can show up through respect, listening, and support without forcing a conversation. We also dig into the “duck on water” stress that many healthcare workers hide, the importance of strong support systems, and the everyday practices that help him protect his peace, including planting trees and getting outside.

If you care about patient-centered care, healthcare leadership, faith at work, or real stories from Owensboro, this one will stick with you. Subscribe, leave a review, share the episode with a friend, and tell us: what helps you stay grounded when pressure hits?

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Transcript

Purpose And Respect For Patients

SPEAKER_01 0:02

So really, I just, you know, I tried to realize in my life, because we see people from all different walks of life that, you know, in my worldview, everyone is a child of God and just treating them with respect and dignity.

Welcome To All Things Owensboro

SPEAKER_02 0:15

In a world where people are at their most vulnerable, Wade Crowley doesn't just show up with skill, he shows up with purpose. Welcome to All Things Owensboro. Hey guys, welcome back to All Things Owensboro. We're so glad that you joined us today. And look, keep sharing those episodes. We're doing great. We're over 1,300 episode downloads. Um, and we are killing it. Or I'd say you guys are killing it. And so thanks for the support. Again, thanks for being the Blue Bridge crew. May sound corny, but I think it's a fun little follower identification. And so keep it up, keep getting the word out about the great town of Owensboro to the world. Uh, today, I have a great guest with me today. He's from Hanson, uh, the big city just above Madisonville. Uh, when you're going down 69, but Wade Crowley, he is here with me today. He works for the hospital and he's also a man of faith and is married. And Wade, thanks for coming on today, sir.

SPEAKER_01 1:04

Awesome. Happy to be here.

What Makes Owensboro Feel Like Home

SPEAKER_02 1:06

Yes, sir. And uh, just so you know, as we're recording his re his views or his own views, and he is not uh he's not here to give medical advice, and so don't think, oh, I'm listening to this. I'm gonna figure out what's wrong with me finally. Uh that may not happen today, okay? And so, Wade, uh, you know, you've been in Owensboro here for probably what, like eight to ten years. Going on eight years, yeah. Yeah, going on eight years. And you didn't grow up too far from here, but well, in your mind, what makes Owensboro Owensboro?

SPEAKER_01 1:31

To me, Owensboro still has that small town feel, which I know the size of a town is largely prospective, but growing up in Hansen, actually outside of Hansen, when we had one stoplight, now I think there's two. But you know, so still having the small town feel, but still having, you know, there's still amenities, there's still places to eat and places to shop, and you know, there's churches to choose from. So there's still plenty of options, which you know, you hear people from here say, Oh, there's nothing here in Owensville. That's true, I hear that a lot. But yeah, you know, I lived in Nashville as well, so it it's all perspective, but you know, just the sense of community that Owens World provides. You know, if you don't know somebody, your friend knows somebody, and so there's just that level of connection that you don't often see in some of the very large metropolitan areas where you may not see the same person twice. But here in Owensboro, if you see somebody at Target, you know, you're probably gonna see them at a ballgame or you're gonna see them at church. And so just that kind of sense of community is why it makes Owensboro Owensboro for No, I think it's great, and I think I tell people that a lot.

Farm Roots And Early Values

SPEAKER_02 2:33

Like it's a small town feel, but has everything a big town needs or feels like they should have. And so you talked about growing just out growing up just outside of Hanson, Kentucky. Uh we stopped there for gas. Uh, that's what that's how we know Hanson on the way back and forth to my sister's house. But how is Hanson and Hopkins County really shaped who you are today?

SPEAKER_01 2:51

Well, to me, I mean, it's it's if somebody asks me where I'm from, like I'm still like that still comes to mind, you know, before I would even say I'm from Owensboro. And largely just, you know, obviously I've spent a large chunk of my life there. But you know, I grew up on a farm which I feel like just instilled and really shaped, you know, who I am today. And I feel like that kind of is similar to a lot of people here in Owensburg, where there's you know still very much a farming community, especially outside the city limits. Yeah. Um but just those values, the hard work and family, you know, really kind of you know led me to you know where I'm at today and guided me along my path. And uh so that's really cool.

SPEAKER_02 3:33

And you went to Hopkins County Central or Madison? Madison North Hopkins.

SPEAKER_01 3:37

So there's there's there's two there's two high schools there, one's kind of the city high school, one's kind of the county high school, and it's Hopkins County Central, yeah, and Madison North Hopkins. Those are the two high schools there. And I think I went to Madisonville.

SPEAKER_02 3:47

Yeah, North Hopkinsville uh football wise are doing really good in the school.

SPEAKER_01 3:49

Yeah, I don't think they've hadn't been this good since like the 80s or something. Oh, yeah. Okay. So this is yeah, this is a little out of the norm. So that I think everybody in the community is kind of rallying around them. That's you know, it's exciting. Um I didn't do any of the cool sports, I I did tracking across country. So which is pretty big pretty big here in Davis County. Um so yeah, that's neat.

Choosing Nursing And The CRNA Path

SPEAKER_02 4:10

All right. Well, you you are a uh anesthesiologist, uh which nurs anethidist.

SPEAKER_01 4:16

A nurse and C RNA to be to be more specific.

SPEAKER_02 4:18

Okay, yes, gotcha, gotcha. I can't I'll just I can't even say that. I'll just say C R N A. Yeah. So, but you know, what was the defining moment where you need healthcare specifically in this area that you are covering? Like what what you know, how did you figure out like this is what I want to do with the rest of my life, or did you find it kind of in an unexpected way?

SPEAKER_01 4:36

You know, it's kind of weird that I feel like for the most of my life I probably knew what I was going to do. And large, largely because my mom was a nurse. Okay. Um, and more specifically, she was a patchy nurse or recovery room nurse. So, you know, that that's the nurses who were kind of with you when you're waking up from anesthesia, waking up from your surgery. And she did that for over 40 years. Wow. So, you know, I spent a lot of time at the hospital, you know, because my dad had a full he had two full-time jobs. Really, he was a full-time firefighter and full-time farmer.

SPEAKER_00 5:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 5:08

So, you know, I spent a lot of time in the call room waiting for my mom to get off work or, you know, dropped off after church, or maybe I had to go with her to work till a grandparent or somebody, my dad could pick us up. Yeah. So just kind of being around that atmosphere kind of introduced me eventually to this profession of and you know, just the people that she interacted with, so you know, you know, was able to interact with them as well. And then there's sometime in middle school, and I I don't remember the specific grade, you know, probably eighth grade, but we had to do like a essentially like a report on a profession or something like that. And my mom took me to the work to interview a CRNA there.

SPEAKER_02 5:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 5:47

And we had to, you know, write it up, present it, whatever we had to do. And really from that moment forward, I was like, I'm gonna do this. And, you know, obviously you don't know how things how the cookie's gonna crumble, but my mom being a nursing, I kind of started because you have to be a nurse before you can be a CRNA. And my mom being a nurse, I saw that I I tried to keep things practical. I saw she had a stable job. I saw that, you know, that it was always there was gonna be a great need for nurses. Uh it wasn't gonna be a profession I really had to worry about getting laid off or something like that, because you know, people are always gonna need nurses. Yeah. And I saw that, you know, there was kind of a straightforward path to that as far as going to my community college and having that paid for essentially for free. Okay. Based on like Kentucky has what's called like keys money based on like your grades that you've received in high school. So getting a lot of that money put towards that. And I just, you know, I saw that I could do all that here locally, Western Kentucky, not have to travel. And so, you know, I started along that path. Um, I worked as an intensive care nurse for a little over five years.

SPEAKER_02 6:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 6:59

You have to to be a CRNA or a nurse and just you have to have ICU experience. Okay. And, you know, that's that's very valuable. So to kind of circle back to the question, you know, kind of knowing I'm gonna do this for a long time. Yeah. Of course, you know, there's always some roadblocks along the way, or maybe some, you know, times where you think you might do something, but you know, I've you've been with it since middle school.

SPEAKER_02 7:22

Yeah, yeah, which is rare. Yeah, that's rare.

SPEAKER_01 7:24

Which is kind of rare. You know, some people are still in college and sometimes don't know what they want to do. So I I really count that as a blessing. Um, I really didn't have to go soul searching or trying to figure out that's that's really kind of a normal process for people is you know, wanting to figure out what they want to do in life. Yeah. Um, I was I was kind of a little bit different, and I I really attribute a lot of that just to you know what my mom's profession was. And then just that desire to help people. You know, my dad as a firefighter as well. I mean, he was kind of both my parents were in professions of service and helping people. I mean, I think that you know really played a you know big, a big role in me pursuing this.

Faith In Patient Care

SPEAKER_02 8:06

That's cool. And I know also, you know, and I'm not saying it plays a part in what you do as far as career goes, not all the time, but you're a man of faith. Uh faith is a big part of your story. You're a deacon here at First Baptist. I mean, how does your faith show up when you care for your patients? And I know it doesn't have to be like, you know, you're not beating the Bible over their head, like, oh, like the Lord saved you, you gotta repent and be saved, you know, but how does your faith show up uh when they're hurting or when they're they're most vulnerable?

SPEAKER_01 8:33

Uh for me, I try to treat everyone I encounter with respect. And I think if you just show a level of decency and a level of respect, you know, that's starting from a good place. Like you said, you know, it's I don't see it as my role, you know, when I when I go to meet somebody for the very first time to, you know, necessarily tell them A to Z about my faith. You know, if somebody requested me to pray for them, I mean I would. Yeah. But, you know, I have, you know, I try to listen to the Holy Spirit in that regard. You know, and if I feel like somebody wants to just, you know, me to talk about something with them further or to before I sense that the maybe the Holy Spirit's urging me to, you know, I may say, hey, do you want to speak to one of our chaplains here? You know, it may be, you know, that may be the kind of route I take. But yeah. And if, you know, a lot of times we, especially being here in the still, I would consider this the South, you know, there's still people still bringing their pastors with them to for their surgeries. And you know, I'm, you know, I'm very happy to see that. And I'm very happy to be in the room when the you know, the pastor or chaplain or a family member is praying for them. So, but you know, I don't necessarily go out of my way to initiate that, you know, but if somebody wanted that, you know, I would definitely be a part of it. But for me, it's just really about treating them with respect for them to feel seen and to know that you know someone cares for them. Yeah, which is you know, health is a very basic need. And we actually just had um a pastor that was talking this week about, or it's world hunger, you know, our church is focused on world hunger right now. And if people are hungry, they're not gonna really care about some of the other stuff. And it's the same thing if you're sick, you know, if you're hurting or you're sick, you know, those needs need to or the most basic needs need to be met first. Yeah, so so really I just you know I tried to to realize in my life because we see people from all different walks of life that you know, in my worldview, everyone is is a child of God and just treating them with respect and dignity. So that's how I try to show my faith at work.

Fear Before Surgery And Staying Grounded

SPEAKER_02 10:30

Yeah, no, that's awesome. And no, another part of work is uh you deal with uh just the reality of of hurt and just craziness. I I don't know else to say it, but you know, there's fear that comes in, especially in your world where people are like, hey, what if I don't wake up? You know, there's there's a lot of things that could happen. I mean, so how do you carry that responsibility, but also stay grounded in like reality and and Wade, the life of Wade?

SPEAKER_01 10:54

Oh well, you're you're right. I mean, first, I mean, it's definitely a stressful job, but and the but it's also fun and exciting. Um and just that level of responsibility, though, you know, carries a great weight because you know, someone is entrusting their life with you. There's also just kind of a, you know, you get this kind of joyful energy of being able to do something so so important and to care for some for care to care for somebody. But you know, as far as managing that, you know, fear and risk that patients encounter, and it's a very, you know, everybody kind of comes at a different place. You have some people who are excited to go to sleep. They're like, you know, they got you know, three or four kids and they're tired and they're like, I've been looking forward to looking forward to this nap, you know, for two weeks since I've had this surgery schedule. And then you have people who are deathly afraid of it. Yeah. And I think you have to realize that everybody's perspective on it and it's coming at it at a different place. And you have to be will you have to be able to kind of read the room to read the patient and to meet them where they're at. Yeah. Um, you know, some people want you to joke with them, cut up. Okay. Some people want you to be very serious. Yeah. You know, they and so you have to just kind of be, you know, willing to let the patient kind of lead you with where they're at.

SPEAKER_03 12:10

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 12:11

And for me, you know, as far as keeping it grounded, I try to realize that every patient I take care of, it's it's somebody's dad, it's somebody's brother or their mother or their sister, and that, you know, that person is they're important to someone. So, you know, and I would want to treat them like they're you were my family member. So that's kind of how I, you know, come at it.

SPEAKER_02 12:33

Yeah, so you're talking about staying grounded, you know. I don't I think I don't know. I guess in my mind is like I know a little bit of what you do because I know you, but a lot of people when they think of CRNA, they're not really sure what that all that means. And so what's the uh un unseen side of like can you go and add a little bit of like an emotional side of things or like things where you're like people don't see this, but it's something that I have to deal with as being a CRNA. Hey, quick pause. I'm Brad Winter, host of All Things Owensboro Podcast. If you're looking for a church that feels like home, we'd love to invite you to First Baptist Church Owensboro. We gather Sundays at 1030 a.m. right next to the Blue Bridge. Infos in the show notes, and if you reach out, my family will gladly sit with you. Looking for a place to get active, connect with others, and have fun as a family? Then come check out the rec at FBC Owensboro. From open gym and a weight room to upward sports and community events, there's something for everyone. Memberships are super affordable, just$2 a day,$10 a month, or$60 a year. And get this, families, you only pay$120 max for the entire family for the whole year. And if you're a senior, college student, or one of our city heroes, like a teacher, first responder, or healthcare worker, you get a discount too. The wreck is more than a gym, it's a place to belong.

SPEAKER_01 14:04

Yes. So when we're in when we were in training, they often give us the analogy that you have to kind of be like a duck on water.

SPEAKER_02 14:11

Okay.

The Hidden Stress Of Anesthesia Work

SPEAKER_01 14:11

Where everything on the outside, it looks like that duck is just sitting on the water, but really they're paddling, paddling, paddling underneath. And so just all these different stressors that come at you or stressful situations that you're in, you know, you're people are looking at you to be the calm and the storm, essentially. Yeah. Um, and so, you know, what a lot of people don't realize is you know that it is a stressful job, but on the same, on the other side of the coin, it's a very rewarding job. Um to be able to care from someone to care for someone, you know, as you know, it could be as as small as somebody having, you know, you know, elective scheduled colonoscopy, or they might be having a major brain or heart surgery. So at the end of the day, you know, it's a very rewarding profession. But you know, the unseen side of it, back to your question, is that I don't think people realize that there's a you know, there's an emotional stressful side of it that people have to deal with in our profession. You know, and unfortunately, a lot of people in our profess there, you know, there's I'm meant to look up some statistics, but you know, there's a lot of people in our profession that end up succumbing to substance abuse.

SPEAKER_02 15:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 15:22

Or and a lot of that has to do with, you know, of course, there's one side of the coin, there may have been some predisposed factors genetically or socially that they brought to the table. But also you choose a profession where there's a you know uh you have a high there's a high stress load, and then there's a lot of production pressure to kind of keep the OR moving and to get one case finished and get on the next, and then you know, you take all that stress and they you have access to you know some of the same drugs that you're using to help care for people. So, you know, unfortunately, you know, there's a lot of people in our profession that end up having to struggle with that. And you know, then thankfully there's a lot of resources and help to help those people too. So but I think it goes back to show just you know kind of the emotional stressful toe in that if you don't have the right base and you don't have the right support system, you know, there's definitely some uh potentials for pitfalls.

Leading Type A Teams Under Pressure

SPEAKER_02 16:18

Yeah, and I know like seeing those things too every day, and it could vary, but you know, it sometimes hard to respond to those things too. I mean, so you know, you you have leadership in your title, but leadership in healthcare doesn't always just mean authority. Uh I know you got to talk a little bit yesterday, you said you got to talk to a group yesterday. And so what does it mean to lead people who are used to performing under pressure?

SPEAKER_01 16:37

Uh well, I think one of the biggest parts of leadership is just you have to be, to me, one of the biggest traits is just be a to you have to be able to listen. I mean, you know, if you start talking as soon as someone else starts talking, you're you know, you're really just kind of throwing your opinion, you're not really truly listening to them. So I feel like you have to be able to listen. And you know, in our profession, there's there happens to be a lot of type A personalities. Now, there's some type B personalities, there's always some type B personalities that make it into anesthesia, but you typically are dealing with a lot of you know high achievers, a lot of very strong opinion and people, which you know, which is you know, that's a good thing. So when I kind of come at come at it from a leadership side, I always try to, you know, to do anything. If I want to ask someone to do someone to do something, I want to be able to like I should be willing to do that as well. Yeah. Like I shouldn't ask someone to do these certain cases or take care of these certain patients if I'm myself not willing and able to do that.

SPEAKER_03 17:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:35

And when when it comes to just the job side of things and issues people are dealing with, you know, I want to be seen as like a great listener. And I feel like that is what kind of you know leads you down a path of being a good leader.

Hard Seasons And Finding Hope

SPEAKER_02 17:47

Yeah, I would agree with that as well. Yeah, and I I'm I'm you know, I'm doing a podcast and listening is the number one thing when it comes to this. They're not trying to listen to me. I mean, so you know, you you're you're a man of faith. I'm gonna go in that just a little bit. You know, what's been your hardest season either personally or professionally? Um, what did I teach you about yourself and about God?

SPEAKER_01 18:05

Well, I'll start with I'll I could probably do them separately, but professionally, I would say probably just the the training. And and and it wasn't just the fact that like, you know, I had had a staple job in the ICU and was getting a paycheck, and but like you kind of feel like you knew what you were doing. And then you go into something new where now all of a sudden you're not getting paid and you're learning and learning and learning, and you're expecting being expected to perform it. So essentially the ice, you know, an ICU nurse is kind of looked at as being kind of one of the, we'll say, expert nurses in the hospital, but now all of a sudden you've you know you're you're back to trainings where you're back down to the bottom rung of the ladder where you're kind of at the bottom of the food chain and you're having to work your way back up and learn all these things and perform under pressure with people watching you and you know, whether you'll be your clinical preceptors and and such. And so, you know, the the training aspect of it was stressful, but also during that time I was dating my now-to-be wife. I got engaged during the same time period and married in the same time period. So there was a lot of you know life changes that were happening on top of all the other things. So, you know, I had to obviously find to you know, make time for study, but also to, you know, grow my relationship with Margaret, who's you know, my wife now, to really foster that. So, you know, that you know, just the management of time and all the things, the responsibilities that came my way at that you know point in time in my life was pretty stressful from a professional aspect of it. Um and and then you also ask, you know, personally, you know, personally, which you know, there's obviously been you know several everybody has things that happen in their life that are difficult. You know, most recently, you know, we lost my father-in-law, which you know was a little bit unexpected. So, you know, that that was kind of a you know trying season um for our family. But you know, despite the professional personal struggles to me without you know a centerpiece being God, I I don't see how people get by through these tough times and to tough things without that kind of worldview. And I know people do, and people you know are free to choose their own worldviews and their own things to help them make sense of the world. But for me, truly just realizing that you know there that there is a greater plan than that, you know, one day all things will be made right, you know, and so that when we're going through a tough season at work or in school or in life, whether it be health issues, or you know, that you know, one day, you know, it's all going to be made right, and that you know there's a God that that loves me and wants the best for me. And so, yeah, that's kind of how uh get through those times.

Making People Feel Seen

SPEAKER_02 21:09

Okay, no, I think it's great. So, you know, you have patients, you have colleagues, and so what do you hope that they feel when they walk away from you? Like after they have an interaction with Wade Crowley or Dr. Crowley, yeah, what are you know what are they? You're like I'm not a doctor, yeah. I know you're not a doctor, yeah. I know, I know.

SPEAKER_01 21:24

Maybe one day I'll get maybe I'll get a PSD or something.

SPEAKER_02 21:26

Yeah. So but yeah, what do you what do you expect what do you hope that they get away get from you when they walk away or having an interaction with you?

SPEAKER_01 21:33

Uh I hope they just to me, I hope they just feel seen. And so, you know, to me, I always try to interact with to anyone who I come in contact with. Because, you know, if I see someone in a hallway, say it's you know a a janitor, there may have been 20 people that passed that person who didn't acknowledge them, you know, even just said hi or wave. And then, you know, whether it's a colleague, it may be the same. So, you know, I try just for people to feel seen and to interact with them. I feel like they care whenever you ask about their kid or their husband or their trip because you know you have invested some of your mental space to remembering something about them. And you know, so that's something that I would hope that they, you know, people would get from the interaction with me is that I hope they just feel seen and that I care for 'em. And that ultimately, you know, by my actions, you know, that you know, that there's a God that loves them.

Protecting Peace Outside The Hospital

SPEAKER_02 22:33

Yeah. Oh, that's cool. And so you mentioned, you know, faith, you talked about family, we talked about even purpose and how since middle school uh you knew you wanted to be a CRNA, but how do you protect your peace? You know, we kind of talked a little bit about this when it comes to being grounded, but I think it's a little different. But like how do you protect your peace and what does a quiet moment look like for Wade Curly?

SPEAKER_01 22:53

Well, so as far as protecting your peace and with a kind of a stressful job, and you know there's other stressful jobs out there. I think you have to be willing to talk to people.

SPEAKER_02 23:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:02

You can't keep stressful things bottled up. Um, you know, whether it's a therapist or it's your a spouse or a best friend, you know, the co a coworker, you have to be willing to decompress and and you know, maybe that's just venting door, but you know, you have to get you have to get it out. So I think you have to be willing to talk to people. But as far as like, you know, what's a you know a moment look like for me to kind of get away and reset, to me it's doing anything outside. You know, I like to garden, I like to plant, I like to plant trees. When we moved to our what our our now our now house, there was you know, essentially it was just farm ground. And so uh I've I've planted enjoy and enjoy planting trees.

SPEAKER_02 23:48

Okay. Did you like a certain tree? All types of trees.

SPEAKER_01 23:52

Okay, yeah. Evergreens, deciduous, all types of different deciduous trees. To me, and also it's just that working in the ground, it's hard. Yeah. But also you have to nurture plants and trees and invest time in them. And when you're digging a hole for a tree, you're not really thinking about you know, uh a bad interaction maybe you had at work or you know, it you really are focused. Uh this, you know, it's hard to dig this hole. You know, it's like so yeah, that that's kind of a way I get away. And then, you know, obviously a a guilty pleasure, just getting, you know, a good Netflix show or or you know, I'm a Braves fan, or Kentucky basketball, you know, I'm just like all the other Kentucky people around here, you know, it's watching a good game. Um those are ways that you know I truly decompress. Okay. Um and I think you know, I think that's healthy. Um that you know you can have something to get away.

SPEAKER_02 24:48

And out of curiosity, like do you watch uh hospital shows on Netflix or do you kind of stay away from those and and watch other do you have another year another genre that you like?

SPEAKER_01 24:57

I typically don't watch a ton of medical shows. I mean I did there was a show that was on HBO that was all the rays this last year. It was an ER show. Okay. Um I can't and I don't know and I can't I can't it was based in Pittsburgh, I think. Oh, it's called Pit, yeah. They won a bunch of uh Emmys. Yeah, so like we did we we did watch that. And that was very realistic, actually. Uh huh. They had some good experts, I guess, you know, guiding them in that show. Now they had a lot of things happen in a in a one-shift that probably happen would happen at a facility like that over two to three years. Yeah. But that's the nature of television. But no, I I typically don't watch a ton of medical shows. But growing up, you know, I was always obsessed. I loved House MD.

SPEAKER_02 25:40

Oh, dude, I loved house, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:42

You know, and I watched some scrubs and stuff like that. So I mean I I have watched them, but like now I'm typically watching, you know, espionage or Jason Bourne type stuff or the terminal list. Those are the type of things I typically watching these days. Oh, that's cool.

SPEAKER_02 25:58

Yeah, I used to I grew up watching house. I always thought it was just the stuff they came up with, and I'm sure they were evil, but just blew my mind.

SPEAKER_01 26:04

Yeah, it's all it's like they just go to a medical dictionary and try to find the most rare thing. Yeah, but you know, that makes forget to eat.

SPEAKER_02 26:12

So uh well, you know, there's an opportunity. Uh I ask this to every guest that comes on too, because you know, at the end of the day, something that we don't think about probably a whole lot, maybe from time to time, but not a whole lot. We don't dwell on it. Um, but what kind of legacy do you want to leave? Uh not just in your career, but in Owensboro or you you know, if you guys were to move away, but so it can be I would just say community, your faith, your family, like what kind of legacy do you like? How do you want people to remember Wade Crowley?

SPEAKER_01 26:37

Well, that's a great question. Just looking from the career standpoint, I would want people just to look at they you know, they really enjoyed working with Wade Crowley. Like, I want people like I don't I don't want them to, man, I hate that Wade's here today, or you know, I dread because you know you do get people like that. Like you don't don't want to work with that person. Like, I would really want them to miss me if I left. Yeah, and and I get that because there's there's been some mentors of mine who I hadn't necessarily worked with a lot, but you know, there's a guy named John Gaither who was is a CRNA in this community, and you hear people talk about him, and it's just like you know, we love how how nice he is, how great of a provider he is, just all these good things. I'm like, you know, it's and he's at the towards the end of his career, and it's like, well, he has built these relationships with people to where you know they want to work with him because of his character more than anything, you know, how great of a person you know he has been, and not just that he's a great provider. So, you know, I look up to people like that, I'm like, well, you know, you have to be consistent, um, and you have to show up for people and you have to be, you know, kind. Um, so I would want that from that. But from a faith standpoint, you know, ultimately I'd want some you know, people to believe, you know, know that you know I'm someone who loved Jesus and that I would want them to know that there's a God that loves them. And from a from the family side of that of a legacy, you know, which is I feel like that's what probably most people think of when they think of it as a legacy. They think, you know, I just when somebody th thinks of my last name, you know, my family's last name, you know, I just want that to be a name that's respected. You know, the way we carry ourselves, the way we give back, you know, the way maybe we help people, that we were good neighbors, those are the type of things that you know I would want me or my wife or you know, our hopefully our future kids, you know, you know, a name that people would respect and know and not think that, oh man, not those people, you know, like you know, so yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:35

And it sounds like with your parents being so involved, like your mom being a nurse, your dad being a firefighter, it sounds like you guys were pretty well known and well respected just off of those careers, yeah, with your family name and yeah, you know, my sister's a teacher, so I mean she you know is you know a servant as well.

SPEAKER_01 28:51

And so, you know, these there's you know, anybody has a job, you have the ability to interact, but unless you're working, you know, you maybe you have like you're an IT security person working from home in a dark room. You know, most people you have the ability to interact and to invest in people or children, you know, you just have to utilize those opportunities.

SPEAKER_02 29:12

Yeah, no, that's awesome. Well, hey, look, we're gonna go into 270 seconds of fame. I don't record it, it could be four and a half minutes. I do record it, but I don't time it, I guess. Uh I never know if it's four and a half minutes or less. Uh but these are fun questions, and then we'll wrap it up with one more question uh before we leave the guests today. But are you ready to jump in, Wade? I'm ready. All right, so when it comes to drinks, uh coffee, sweet tea, or something stronger? Sweet tea. Sweet tea, all right. Like like super thick, like like sugary sweet tea.

SPEAKER_01 29:37

Uh I mean, any good sweet tea. I mean, really, if I'm going with a drink machine, I'm probably getting a soda. But I don't I don't drink, I don't drink, but I do like sweet tea.

SPEAKER_02 29:45

Okay, cool. Uh, what's uh your go-to breakfast spot in Owensville?

Rapid Fire Owensboro Favorites

SPEAKER_01 29:49

Ooh. Uh I think Old South probably has the best breakfast. They do, yeah. They put something special on the bacon. It may be legal, but um the bacon in Old South is is to die for.

SPEAKER_02 30:00

It is really good. Alright, which uh what song instantly lifts your mood?

SPEAKER_01 30:04

Well, that is a very difficult question because I listen to a lot of music. Um but currently on my listen on the way here to this podcast, I was listening to the goodness of God. Okay, and I'll listen to 10 different versions. Yeah. Um But I'm also as far as uplifting mood, yeah. I've been listening to Forrest Frank, just like anybody else right now. A lot of people listen to Forrest Frank. Uh, I feel like his music right now is very uh uplifting and positive. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:34

I would agree with that. He's he's a good rapper, uh rapper, musician. Yeah, musician. We'll say that. Uh so favorite Kentucky season, spring blooms or fall colors?

SPEAKER_01 30:42

Ooh. Um also another difficult question. I would probably lean towards spring just because it's where it's for coming out of winter, going into a season of warmth. Um, I would give that the edge. I do love fall, just the fall colors, and it's usually a time where I'm planting trees and stuff.

SPEAKER_02 31:02

Oh, really? Okay.

SPEAKER_01 31:03

Um, but I thought you'd plant them in the spring.

SPEAKER_02 31:06

I do plant them in the spring. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 31:07

But fall is kind of an ideal time to do a lot of planning for things. But the fact that spring is, I know the next couple months is going to be coming back into some warmth after being a kind of a short days and cold and I would give the edge to spring, Karen.

SPEAKER_02 31:23

Okay. Gotcha, gotcha. All right. What's one word your friends would use to describe you? I know some of these are hard. I know.

SPEAKER_01 31:29

Yeah, that's that's difficult. Um one word. Um that's difficult. Um, I want to get back to that one. Yeah. Circle back to that one.

SPEAKER_02 31:41

Yeah, we'll circle back to that one. Uh, what's the last show you binged or movie that you loved watch?

SPEAKER_01 31:45

Uh the last show I binged was uh a prequel to The Terminalist, and it was um it was on Amazon Prime, and it's based off the Jack Carr um books. You know, he was a Navy still, and he's um he's written a lot of books, and now they're kind of adapting some shows. Uh, but it was I can't remember what the show was called, but it was a prequel to The Terminalist. Um it just came out. Uh I watched it over a couple days. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 32:09

Okay, there you go. Uh I don't know if the few shows. Uh, what's your favorite local event or festival in Owensboro?

SPEAKER_01 32:15

Hmm. That's that's also another difficult question. Um well, I do miss the well, they've kind of changed the the barbecue festival. Not that, you know, my my first year in Owensboro came to that and really enjoyed that. Yeah. And we haven't been to Romp, so we're kind of slacking on the Owensboro uh things. Um, this is sound kind of corny. I do like the having the tractor pool at the Ferry Grounds. Oh, yeah. Yeah. So I mean maybe that's just my country roots, but you know, that's cool. Yeah. Me and probably 100 other people there. Um I I enjoy going to the tractor pool.

SPEAKER_02 32:52

That's cool. All right. So uh what's one thing you can't start your day without?

SPEAKER_01 32:57

A shower. A shower, okay. I'm not uh I don't have to have coffee or anything. I just needed a shower. Good clean shower, yeah. Um it doesn't matter if I had two hours of sleep, I'm ready to go.

SPEAKER_02 33:06

Yeah, that's awesome. All right, uh, let's see, barbecue, burgoo, or mutton. What's your pick?

SPEAKER_01 33:10

Uh I do like mutton. Um, not a huge burgoo fan, but I'll eat all barbecue. I know Owens Rill's claim to fame as they're kind of the barbecue capital of the world, but I like all barbecue. Yeah, unsauced, sliced, Texas, Carolina. I don't really care. I'll eat any barbecue. Okay, I I'm a little, I don't know if I like Carolina as a lot I I don't um discriminate when it comes to barbecue.

SPEAKER_02 33:34

I do.

SPEAKER_01 33:35

Um fun fact, uh, there actually was a barbecue restaurant that I grew up next to in Hanson. Oh, really? Yeah, literally, like it may not have even been a mile down the road. Okay. It may have been less than a mile.

SPEAKER_02 33:45

Yeah, I'm assuming it's it's not there anymore.

SPEAKER_01 33:48

It was called Good Old Boys, of course, and it was there for a long time. And the barbecue they served is essentially what they serve here at Old South and Old Hickory.

SPEAKER_02 33:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:58

Sauce barbecue, and they had mutton and stuff, but yeah. Um, so I mean I I grew up eating barbecue.

SPEAKER_02 34:03

Yeah, so I've been to I've been to Sicy, well, they're not there anymore, it was Sicky Daves, I think. Yeah. In Nazville. I thought they were okay, but yeah, I don't know. Uh we can go on that could be a whole nother episode. Uh I see, so what's a quote or I would say even a Bible verse uh that kind of is one that you live by.

SPEAKER_01 34:19

Uh well I I kind of thought you might ask that question. So um, but um I would say uh probably Romans, it's in Romans 8.

SPEAKER_02 34:30

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 34:30

Um and it's verse 28. It's really actually the whole couple verses. I've read a couple verses. Yeah. This this section. Um and it says the 26th says, in the same way the spirit also helps us in our weakness because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the spirit himself intercedes for us with this inexpressible groanings. And for me, that really kind of helps me because sometimes things can just like people don't know what to say, they don't know what to pray. And I that this to me, that is very comforting to read that. That you know, there's still, you know, the God and Holy Spirit are still working for our good. Um and then it goes on to say in 28 that we know all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. So, you know, just kind of that that section in Romans 8. And I and I feel like it may even have been, you know, our late pastor Paul who had said, or another pastor who talked about Romans 8 being one of his one of their favorite passages. And it may not have been him, but and so that kind of turned me on to that that that chapter, and there's just a lot of goodness from reading. Oh, yeah. And a lot of things that can help you get kind of through times that you feel like are difficult or there's so much evil in the world, and you know, that kind of you know, you know, brings it back in for me.

SPEAKER_02 35:43

Yeah, isn't it like helps me refocus? Yes, refocus, yeah. Oh, that's a good, that's a good, that's a good uh saying. Uh what's a hidden gem in Western Kentucky everyone should visit?

SPEAKER_00 35:52

Hmm. That is a good question. A hidden gem. Um, let me think about this one.

SPEAKER_01 36:02

Um Western Kentucky. You know, there's always there's always these hole-in-the-wall restaurants. Well, that's what I was thinking about. Yeah, I kind of I kind of think about. Um and whether that be um, you know, the Big Dipper or um going to Island Dairy Freeze.

SPEAKER_02 36:24

Oh, yeah, it is a good place. I've been there.

SPEAKER_01 36:26

Jay's getting a milkshake from Jay's and Calhoun or the Seabree Dairy, like all these little kind of places that have been around for a long time, little family-owned diners, then yeah. Um I think that's kind of the gem of Western Kentucky, in my opinion. So there's there's a lot of great things, but no, I mean that's good. There are some to be able to drive through a town of a hundred people and stop in and get you know one of their hamburgers or milkshakes or something like that. To me, that's that's kind of little gems.

SPEAKER_02 36:51

No, I that's cool. Uh, what's your biggest pet peeves?

SPEAKER_01 36:54

Ooh, probably biggest pet peeve for me is laziness. Okay. Yeah. Um, and I'm just thinking that off the cuff. Maybe that's not even that that I would say it's one of mine.

SPEAKER_02 37:06

It's hard to just narrow it down, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:09

Uh to me, because I feel like um people are given a lot of talents and skills and um knowledge and mental capacity, and you know, some somebody may have a skill that's greater than yours, but you know, I think work ethic is something that you know that's a choice. Yeah. Um so for me, that's I guess that was what's what I would say. Today. Tomorrow maybe the difference. Maybe different. Today, that's today.

SPEAKER_02 37:38

Yeah, so what uh who's someone in Owensboro? And I think you might have it might be the same person you mentioned earlier, um, but who's someone in Owensboro that really aspires you?

SPEAKER_01 37:48

Well, um, I like I said I didn't mention John Gaither. You did, yeah. Um he's not really he works in this area. I guess he's not from Owensboro, but you know, to me, you know, I think it was our you know, our late pastor, Paul, you know, he was a truly, you know, if I'm trying to think of, you know, because I've only been in Owensboro for like eight years, so I don't I guess I don't know everybody. Um I don't know, you know, I'm sure there's some incredible leaders. And I know I know there's incredible leaders around here. Um but you know, that's someone who I feel like he was very consistent, he loved people. Um you hear you know, one thing people talk about him is you know he remembered everybody's name. Yeah. Um and you know he he talked to people and loved to talk to people and he made people feel seen. So that's someone who in Owensborough, you know, um, who I would say when I moved here and became, you know, started going to church here, that kind of looked up to. Um and of course, you know, we have I get to work with incredible leaders at the hospital as well. Um who um, you know, they showcase, you know, their various skills and talents and um the way they interact, I get to interact with them. Um so you know, we're really blessed um to have uh so many great leaders here in Owensboro. And I'm lucky, you know, I get to work with a lot of those, you know, at the hospital too. Yeah. Um and so and everybody gets to lead in in different capacities, uh and leadership's different for everyone. And it's not necessary it may not necessarily be the boss of some place, you know. It may be um, you know, it may just be your manager of your department or whatnot. Yeah. Um so um yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:24

I got you. That's cool. Uh, what's a small act of kindness that's really stuck with you throughout your life?

SPEAKER_01 39:29

A small act of kindness that's really stuck with me. Um, these are these are good questions.

SPEAKER_02 39:37

They are, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:38

Um courtesy a chat GPT? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:41

I mean I had some influence in it, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:44

A small act of kindness that really stuck with me. Um That's tough. That's a that's a that's a because there's so many there's so many acts of kindness that people do for you. Um so to pick one out that really stuck with me.

SPEAKER_00 40:07

Um you can skip that one.

SPEAKER_02 40:11

Not not because you're ungrateful. No. I I mean I just you know it is hard to narrow down on the spot.

SPEAKER_01 40:16

So that's yeah, I mean there's there's like I said, there's literally so many acts of kindness that I mean my wife, I mean, she's I mean, she made me brownies yesterday.

SPEAKER_00 40:28

I mean, so I mean I mean there's there's tons of acts of kindness.

SPEAKER_01 40:34

Um I have you know I have a a neighbor who is well neighbors, um, but the ones that live right across from the road from us, we he has been an excellent neighbor in that. Uh he lets me borrow his trailer, he lets me borrow his tractor. Oh, nice. You know, so and I've been like that. I mean, essentially since day one. Like we didn't like, it was just it really didn't have to, he didn't have to know me that well. Um and I've actually used his trailer to go pick up trees three hours away, you know. So it's not like I'm just going to pick up some mulch, yeah, you know, down the road. So not to discount all the other acts of kindness that friends and family have bestowed upon me. But um besides you know, the way um and the acts of service that you know my wife does for me on a daily basis and you know, in our marriage, but um yeah, I would say the way that Brian has been such a great neighbor and letting me use this trailer, it may seem silly, but yeah, to me that really sticks out. Yeah, no, that's good. And it's a big red trailer, so maybe that's why it sticks out. Yeah, maybe.

SPEAKER_02 41:38

But and you're not discounting anybody else. No, no, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:41

Yeah, no, that's that's that's that's a hard one to put down on the spot.

SPEAKER_02 41:44

Yeah, that is. Uh, if you could have dinner with anyone past uh present, uh well, I guess you can't do the future, but past or present, uh, who would it be?

SPEAKER_01 41:53

Ooh, chat GTP coming in again. It's just another chat GPT.

SPEAKER_02 41:56

Yeah, this is another chat GPT. Coming in, Chatty.

SPEAKER_01 41:59

Past or present. Um obviously, well, I should say obviously. I mean, you could always like pick someone out of the Bible, Bible time or ancient times, that would um that would be awesome to eat with. But if I had if I just had one meal to pick with somebody out of the past, say I get to go to eat with them tomorrow, um I'd probably say my granddad. Um my daddy Jack. Uh Daddy Jack, yeah. Yeah, he was uh a big mentor in my life. Okay. Yeah, I would I I would say him.

SPEAKER_02 42:39

Okay, cool. That's neat. Um, all right. So what's your what's your favorite smell or sound that reminds you of home?

SPEAKER_01 42:45

Ooh, uh probably a tobacco barn. Okay. Um, you know, I grew up on a tobacco farm. So which we we did not do fire cured tobacco.

SPEAKER_02 42:54

It was air cured, but you just hang it, that's where you hang it upside down.

SPEAKER_01 42:58

But even though we didn't do um the fire cured tobacco, uh that smell and just being like that that reminds me of home because it was such a big part of you know, I worked in it my entire childhood up until you know adolescents and teenagers, and um even to very early adulthood, I've you know, I worked in it. So that that definitely reminds me of home.

SPEAKER_02 43:22

Uh yeah, no, it's good. Uh, you know, I I yeah, the tobacco has it just had that distinct smell. Um it's cool how it smells and just take you back. Like literally take you back.

SPEAKER_01 43:31

Now I'm not a real fan of cigarette smoke, but I would agree. Yeah, cigarette smoke, I can get it. But just kept it. But the tobacco plant and just the way it smells, um, yeah, that definitely brings it back to home. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:42

Yeah. Uh what's something you've learned the hard way?

SPEAKER_01 43:45

Ooh. Uh learn the hard way. Um leadership is very difficult. Um and that's because um, you know, where the everybody has an opinion about something. So Um and I've also learned, you know, there's a you know, there's a with you know, in it there should be. There's a microscope that comes with leadership. Um, you know, people are always watching. Yeah and so um you know there may be things that you can say or maybe things I should use I statements, things I could say or I could have got away with if I was just, you know, just a regular worker, so to speak, a pawn on the chessboard. But when you're looked at as being, you know, uh kind of one of the more important pieces on the chessboard or in a position of leadership, you know, you're held to a higher standard.

SPEAKER_02 44:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:35

Uh which is fair. Yeah. Uh, but you sometimes you learn that to a hard way whenever you know you maybe your interaction with someone is it could have it should have gone better. And it should it should have been better because you're a leader, you know. Um and so, you know, those are things that you know I have learned. Um, yeah.

Final Message And Wrap Up

SPEAKER_02 44:52

Yeah. Yeah. I tell people all the time, like something I've I mean, I've known for a while, but even with my kids, it's become more of a reality. Like everybody, somebody's watching. Someone's always watching. Um, all right. Wait, well, you passed, so good job. Uh, you know, appreciate it. We'll maybe hit some of those questions back another time. Uh, but you know, one thing I always like to ask every guest uh before we end the show is uh what is one thing you would like to leave our listeners? Like if they've listened to you and you're like, this is if you don't get anything out of this this episode, this is what I want you to get, or if it's encouraging, inspiring, challenging, like what's one thing you want to leave with our audience today?

SPEAKER_01 45:24

I guess I would just challenge them to you know to find their why, to find what motivates them. And ultimately, I want them to know that you know, no matter their belief system, you know, that they're that they are loved. You know, they have someone that cares about them, whether it's a friend or family member or my worldview, you know, you know, God of the universe, you know, there is someone that cares for them and loves for them, even if they do not feel that in that season or in that part of their life or that day. But yeah, and then as far as encouragement, I just would encourage people to find what motivates them to find their why. Okay. And yeah, just live by that.

SPEAKER_02 46:06

That's good. All right, Wade. Well, it's been great, man. I learned I feel like I learned a lot more about you in this 45 minutes or so. I mean, so yeah, so appreciate you coming on, appreciate what you're doing over at the hospital. Um, I know it's a hard job. I mean, it's been great uh to just see you grow over the last. I've been here five years and just to see uh what you've been doing, and those five years have been really cool. So thanks for coming on today, sir. And yeah, if you ever see Wade in the hospital, say hi. Maybe ask what tree he planted recently.

SPEAKER_01 46:30

So that'd be a great question. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_02 46:32

Yes, sir. All right, thanks. Thanks for tuning in to all things Owensboro, where we celebrate the stories, people, and places that make our city special. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who loves this town as much as you do. Until next time, Owensboro, keep loving local, supporting one another, and making Owensboro a place we're all proud to call home.