Talkin' Tennessee with Yvonnca
Talkin' Tennessee with Yvonnca
From Army to Medicine: Dr. Katrina Hall-Smith's Journey
What makes a village, and why do we need one at every stage of life? In this profound conversation with Dr. Katrina Hall-Smith, we explore the enduring power of community across generations.
Dr. Hall-Smith's remarkable journey takes us from her roots in a close-knit Tennessee neighborhood to her 32-year military career, then to becoming a physician—all shaped by the villages that supported her along the way. Born two months premature with a pancreatic defect, her life was saved by a doctor who insisted she be transferred to a better-equipped hospital, inspiring her future in medicine.
To contact Katrina Hall Smith and It Takes a Village, check out the website! https://www.katrinahallsmith.com
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Check us out to hear the latest on life in the volunteer state. Yvonca and her guests discuss everything from life, love and business with a Tennessee flair. It's a Tennessee thing, always relatable, always relevant and always a good time. This is Talkin' Tennessee, and now your host, yvonca.
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Speaker 3:Welcome back to Talking Tennessee with Yvonne Ca. I am your host and I am here this week with Dr Katrina Hall-Smith. Welcome to Talking Tennessee.
Speaker 4:Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 3:Most definitely. Well, viewers, let me tell you why I'm having her on. First, I met Katrina in Leadership Not so class and I watched this person from afar. Did not know her, we never met before, but it was something about you that just made me want to know more, so I want you to know. I watched you from you know maneuvering in the class and it just made me want to know more about you and I was like she's got a journey, she's got a story to tell and I want to tell her on Talking Tennessee. So thank you for agreeing to come on here. So let me ask you your first question who is Katrina Hall Smith Without doctor, without all the different things that you have done in your life is impeccable and we'll talk about it. But who?
Speaker 2:are you Well?
Speaker 4:first of all, I'm a child of God. Right, I am a true Southerner. I am a true southerner. I am a country girl. That's a good thing. I am my mother's daughter and my father's daughter, you know, and then also a wife. These are all the things that kind of make up who I am today, but I will say that there's a lot of different facets of everyone.
Speaker 2:Yes, and.
Speaker 4:I enjoy every one of them.
Speaker 3:I agree with you on that, and throughout life, I think that we try to accomplish as much as we can, but we always have to remember you know who we are and that's why I asked that question, because it makes people stop to think about you know, because you do so much in the community, you do so much in life. You know that type thing that sometimes, when I ask that question, some people will be like what? You know that type of thing because they didn't stop to think about it. So let's let's go back to the family that you grew up in. When I was reading about you, I saw that me and you have something in common we come from educated people, an educated family and a family that believes in college education. Can you tell me what was your upbringing and what made you want to go to college?
Speaker 4:Well, for me it was never really an option. So it was one of those deals where both my mom and dad they attended Knoxville College. They had the opportunity because of the sacrifices that their parents made Right. So both of my grandmothers if anybody's seen the movie the Help, right that was the type of you know, doing domestic work.
Speaker 4:Both of my grandmothers did that. Both of my grandfathers, ironically, worked for the railroad, ok, and so my grandfather Collier, my mom's father. He worked for the railroad. He brought the family up from Georgia, so they were part of that migration, of getting out of the South, and then eventually a lot of his family went further north.
Speaker 4:OK but his place here in Knoxville was kind of like the, the transition zone. As folks came out of Georgia on their way to either Ohio or Michigan or New York. They kind of stayed here, got their footing and then took off to go up north to go find whatever fortune or job opportunities that existed up there. But he was the root here in Knoxville.
Speaker 3:So, viewers, let me tell you how much this is weird to hear you say that, because my grandfather and I wonder if our grandfathers were at Knoxville College at the same time. Because didn't you tell me off camera your grandfather was born in 1915?.
Speaker 4:So my grandfather was not college educated. He didn't go to Knoxville College. That was my dad. Okay, your dad.
Speaker 3:Okay, so my grandfather went to Knoxville College as well, and all his brothers went to Knoxville College. So, that's why I was asking that. But back then you know, that was not something. It was never given Right, they had to earn Exactly they totally had to earn.
Speaker 3:And you know, my grandfather always told me is what is your legacy going to be when you die and you go to heaven? What is your legacy going to be when you die and you go to heaven? What is your legacy going to be? And at the time he said it, katrina, I was too young to understand what he was saying that type thing. Now I do understand it, and so education, he always said, is key and that's something that can't be taken away from you.
Speaker 3:And so when I started reading about you, I was like this is a person that is college educated, she's a doctor in two different areas, and I'm like but you went in the military, you did all those different things, but what was the one key thing that you would say that could bring all that together in early age? What was the one thing besides college that brought you into going into service and doing all the different things? We're going to talk about all your different things, but I want to know was there a certain thing that you'd say well, I went into the service because of this?
Speaker 4:So, going into the service, I want to go back to, kind of, what was it that brought it all together? I would say that in both of our families it was always about giving back, right, I agree. So, going back to my grandfather, collier, he, though he did not have a formal education, he was a very, very intelligent man, right? Um, he was always, uh, doing things to help everybody else out.
Speaker 4:And so when you talk about why did I join the military, what was the service aspect of it, there's a funny story that goes along with that, but we always had a sense of keeping the community together and doing things to be able to help other people within the community. He used to take vegetables, right, because we lived out in the county, out in the country, and so he would take vegetables and he would put them on the back of his truck and he would go down to Lonsdale, mechanicsville, because, you know, there's not a lot of grocery stores there now there certainly were not very many grocery stores down there good and so people wanted fresh fruits and vegetables and things like that.
Speaker 4:So he put them on the back of the truck, go out there and give them way off the back of the truck. He sometimes he'd sell them, sometimes he'd give them away, but that was something he did, because that's the way he grew up, but that's true evangelism. If you really think about it.
Speaker 3:You know that was God's purpose. True evangelism is in the streets, it's in the community. You know that type thing and I think that your grandfather and great-grandfather and up probably all taught you. Community is everything you know to give back and I always tell every person that's been in the service thank you for your service. She had 32 years in the army correct Correct In the army. Talk about it.
Speaker 4:Tell us about that experience so you would ask me what was it that caused me to go into the military, and it's actually a kind of a funny story. So when I was in high school I had a senior army instructor. So I took junior ROTC over Holston High School and I had a senior army instructor.
Speaker 3:So you went to.
Speaker 4:Holston, I did yeah, holston.
Speaker 2:When it was still a high school right, yeah.
Speaker 4:So he had challenged me to apply to the military academy and I was like, first of all, what?
Speaker 1:What are you talking about? What you know?
Speaker 4:And so he told me a little bit about it. And then I remembered that there was a gentleman two years ahead of me, Paul McLeod. He was in the band with me and we dated a little bit.
Speaker 3:She says date a little bit.
Speaker 4:Oh, you're in high school, so I'm just dating.
Speaker 3:You're really doing right Two or three days.
Speaker 4:Exactly, exactly so. But Paul had his entire life kind of mapped out right. He says I'm going to go to the military academy, I'm going to do 20 years, I'm going to do that, you know. And he just kind of had it all planned out. And so when my instructor had asked me, you know, I'd like you to apply to the military academy. And so the little cockiness inside of me said, well, if Paul can do it, I certainly can do it, and so it was just really weird.
Speaker 3:So it was more, so I dare. She's like listen, I can show you, I can do it just like you.
Speaker 4:Right, Right and it was just, it was, it was. It wasn't like a deep desire to go. It was just like it's an opportunity.
Speaker 3:So it's an opportunity I'm approved that I can go in there, Right? So so once you got approved to go in, so so little cocky me, right.
Speaker 4:I didn't get accepted. Okay, first try. They offered me the prep school because I had not an athletic bone in my body. Yeah, she was like yeah.
Speaker 3:That's right. I'm trying to go in the army, exactly.
Speaker 4:Exactly, my brother is like trying to teach me how to do sit-ups and push-ups, and I hated running and I was just like oh, my God, you know so. So anyway, so I went to the prep school, which is in Fort Monmouth, new Jersey, and what they do there is whatever area that you need a little strengthening in that's what they work on. So when I got to the prep school, it was every single sport known to man. I would be you had to learn everything yeah, lacrosse, trying to learn how to swim.
Speaker 4:Really, I didn't know that Track. Basketball, volleyball, you name it. Oh, you had to learn, I had to learn.
Speaker 3:And so so, of the sports, which one did you like the most?
Speaker 4:Volleyball.
Speaker 3:Volleyball, okay, volleyball. And basketball?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I didn't do. I didn't play basketball, although both my mother and father played basketball when they were in school. I didn't play basketball because mom was concerned about my grades and she said no, you know, I don't think you should. You should do that because you know you said you wanted to do X, Y, Z, so we're not going to. You're already doing bands, You're already doing ROTC, You're already doing this. You're already doing that we're not doing, not one more thing, exactly. So basketball and volleyball were my two favorites.
Speaker 3:So when you got into the service, where was?
Speaker 4:you stationed at, so my initial assignment was in Germany, germany, germany, yeah.
Speaker 3:Is that because I have brothers and one of my brothers went to Germany and I know different people? Is that one of the main things in army, that a lot of people get stationed in Germany at the beginning Because I know several people that is winning the service and that's the first place they got stationed? Or is that just a fluke? It's? Just no, it's just.
Speaker 4:OK, so when you got, to Germany.
Speaker 3:How was it?
Speaker 4:I loved it you loved it. I absolutely loved it.
Speaker 3:How long was you there?
Speaker 4:I was only there four years, part of which was a deployment, so but yeah, I was in Germany at the time period before the wall came down. Okay, okay and so I got there in 1988.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 4:And.
Speaker 3:How many times have you been deployed?
Speaker 4:Three.
Speaker 3:Three times, okay, yeah.
Speaker 4:So at that point it was Desert Shield, desert Storm, and there's a funny story with that one because you know they talk about having. In fact, it's kind of interesting given some of the events that have happened recently in the news.
Speaker 2:Yeah, some.
Speaker 4:of the events that have happened recently in the news. So we were in Germany. My boss, amazing guy, was telling me hey, lt, I need you to LT, short for lieutenant I need you to work on, get the maintenance trucks together, make sure the defect is ready to go, make sure that we have everything ready to roll. And he said because my mission is to make sure that if there's anything that's ever going to come down, our company is prepared to go forward. And so he had written out all these things that he wanted me to make sure that I did. And that's what we were working on. Little did we have any idea that we were actually going to deploy. I get a phone call from mom and she says baby, y'all are getting ready to go over to the desert. And I was like mom, what are you talking about?
Speaker 4:We're already in Germany. We're forward deployed already. We're not going to go to the desert. Other other units may go, but we're, we're here, we're protecting Europe, right, we're not going anywhere? And she said baby, I'm telling you, I saw it on the news, y'all going and I was like mom, you're like, that's just the news.
Speaker 4:I said mom, you're confused, right right so next morning I get to work, commander says next hole. I was like sir he says get stuff together we're. And I was like we're rolling where sir he said we're going to the desert.
Speaker 3:And you're sitting there going. Mom said, she said mom said Exactly, exactly so what was it like the first time going and just the experience.
Speaker 4:It was very interesting because at that point in time we didn't have well, we hadn't had a combat mission since Korea, right? So this is the early, very, very early 90s. And so the question of what would be the role for women in the military right. So generally, we are in combat service support, meaning you're in those branches that would not allow you to actually get into the big of battle, and that was kind of an uneasy feeling for some, Right, but for me I was like well, this is what our mission is and this is what we're going to go do. So, whatever jobs that you have for me to do, that's what I'm going to take care of, that's my mission.
Speaker 3:What made you go into the medical part of it?
Speaker 4:I wasn't medical at that point. Okay, I was actually military intelligence. Okay, and so we would do signals intelligence, meaning we would be in vehicles listening to communications without getting into too much detail right.
Speaker 4:But to gather the information and provide that to the warfighters to be able to execute their plans. But at this point I was assigned to a division headquarters and I was the XO responsible for a lot of the all of the extra duties. So the nuclear, biological, chemical officer, the supply officer, the dining facility officer, the personnel officer I had about, I think, seven different hats at that point.
Speaker 4:And then also, I was the person who would go out and make sure that when we were setting up the headquarters it would send a quartering party forward to kind of lay out. When the trucks come rolling in the trucks, the 577s, all of the different vehicles came in I would direct where they were going to be lined out to set up the headquarters.
Speaker 3:You were basically in charge.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 3:She said no.
Speaker 4:I wasn't in charge. No, I was not in charge, but I had certain responsibilities. So, as a part of the quarter party, go out and then identify where these different areas were going to be and then where the logistics portion would be Okay. Generally that would not be a normal role but because of where I was assigned, that was. That was my role.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 4:So there came an instance during that particular deployment where my commander was concerned for my safety and he sent me on a mission to make sure, because let me, let me, let me roll back.
Speaker 4:There was a time period when we were getting ready to go over the berm and the female soldiers in our unit said hey, ma'am, when they go over the berm, are we going? Because females don't go into combat? And I was like they're not just going to all of a sudden, stop us from doing our jobs because, quote, females don to go into combat. We have a mission, we have to go forward, we have to do whatever it is that we're assigned to do to make sure that the mission, that the company, is successful. We have to do whatever.
Speaker 4:That is Right. And so they said are we going forward? And I said absolutely we're going forward. And they were like OK, ok, forward. And I said absolutely we're going forward. And they were like okay, okay. So didn't know that my commander was concerned and because of what my job was, he sent me on a boondoggle to go back down to the log base when they were getting ready to go forward, so that I wouldn't be able to go forward with them and somebody else would have to step in and do that particular job, because he called himself protecting me yes and I was hot as fish grease because you wanted to go.
Speaker 4:Well, no because I was like how in the world is he going to do this? The soldiers were asking me are we going forward? And here it is. It looks like I'm going backwards. Yeah right, while they're still having to go forward yes, and how does that make me look?
Speaker 4:right, yeah, and well, and how does make me feel, because they're up there, scared? Yes, because I'm not up there. Yes, right, you know, because I said we're going Right. So anyway, long story short, I get down to the log base. I get word that the unit is going forward. So I beat feet heading to go catch up with my unit, had to go catch up with my unit. Little did he know I was going to do that. Oh wow, because he had told someone who didn't get the message to me, had told someone don't let her come back up here. Yes, right, I didn't get the message.
Speaker 3:Yes, so here I go and you was glad.
Speaker 4:Here I go. I go traipsing back up there, got separated from the unit. Long story short, um, I ended up with a, a subunit of, uh, third armored division, and actually did get to see like, at that point in time, saw multiple rocket launchers going over and I mean, it was what an experience it was it was amazing, it was amazing. And then, when I caught back up with the probably exciting and exciting at the same time.
Speaker 3:Wow, well, god Right, but God Because?
Speaker 4:during that same time period, there were some soldiers who did get briefly captured Right, some female soldiers at that point in time, and they were all in the news and thank God that was not me Right, but God.
Speaker 3:But Right.
Speaker 4:But God, but God, but God.
Speaker 3:I'll say this the biggest thing, probably that helped you is because you had a relationship with God, you know, and that I think that's a big thing. No matter what you do in life, I feel like that you, you have to have a true relationship with God and you have to build your faith and being deployed, oh yeah, oh, you got to have some faith. You have true faith, that type thing. So what made you go into the medical part? So let's talk about it. Let's talk about it.
Speaker 3:So from the time period, Because I'm proud of my friend. Yes, there is, so let's talk about it. So, from the time period, I'm proud of my friend. So, uh, because there's not there, you see more black. Uh, blacks come going into medical now, but think back when you, it wasn't as many and it wasn't as open to the up to our race. Let's talk about it Well you asked why.
Speaker 4:When I was born, I was two and a half months premature. I had a defect in your pancreas and so basically, the doctors told mom when I was born that I was not going to make it. Okay and so when.
Speaker 4:Thank God you did. Walker normal be Walker. I don't know if she is still living, but I thank her because when she walked in the door that morning shout out to dr normal be Walker, pediatrician, yes, she came in to round on the babies that have been born previously and she said what's going on with this one? And um, they said, well, she's got an aneuplancry, she's got collapsed, you know, just named off all the things that was wrong. And she said, well, why don't you guys clean her up? You know well, we don't have the uh capability in this particular hospital to be able to take care of these things. And so you, you got to remember this is the 60s, right.
Speaker 4:So we have the black hospital or the hospital where blacks can go, and then we have the other hospitals and so she said then transfer her to Children's, where they can take care of this. And it's amazing they were like and she said transfer her to Children's and that probably saved your life it did save my life.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it did save my life, that's why I truly believe that God puts vessels on earth. We're vessels and we're supposed to do God's work, you know, and whatever he sees fit for us. You know, and just imagine if that woman wouldn't have done that, you wouldn't be sitting with me, you wouldn't be the doctor that you are and you wouldn't have served so much time in communities, not just this community. You served in a lot of communities and I know, with the short time we've known each other, I know when you left those communities you made them better, because I'm good at reading people and you have a giving heart and a giving heart makes you want to build. Community wants you to build. It doesn't matter if it's in the church, outside of the church, in the workplace, whatever, and I have that heart that I like to build.
Speaker 3:I like to see people thrive. I like to see people be happy in whatever their true happiness is. So yours was to see people thrive. I like to see people you know be happy in whatever they their true happiness is. So yours was to become a doctor. Yes, yes. What pulled you together and said, okay, I want to be a physician and I want to take care of people? Was it what your experience was?
Speaker 4:So, yes, growing up, knowing that, because Dr Walker walked in the room and she asked the question and then she made it happen Right, and I was like when I grow up, I want to be like that, I want to be able to do things and make decisions that will help people and impact people's lives.
Speaker 3:Exactly yes, so you became the physician. How long was you? Was you in the service at that time? So uh or, and where was you?
Speaker 4:out. No, I got out you got out right. So I uh, while I was in the military I I needed a few more prerequisites because going to the academy I did not have all of the prerequisites Some people could go directly out of the military academy and a lot of them went to UCHU, the military med school. Right, okay, but let's just say that I did not graduate at the top of my class, but you still graduated, I did.
Speaker 3:And it still seems it's still the same graduation, right? So you so you served 32 years in the service came out and became a doctor yes, is that what you're telling me and then went back in. And then went back in. That is amazing. So tell me your opinion of what makes a village that's a term that is so sad in our community, right, you know, it takes a village to raise a child. It takes a village to get people through things. What is your definition of a village and what do you say that people need to do?
Speaker 4:So it takes a village, or a village is basically it's a group or a community of people who work together to make sure that everyone within that cohort is taken care of, and that's kind of the way I grew up. Yes, so you're a realtor. Yes, right, I don't know if you are familiar with Rock Coulee Village.
Speaker 3:Say that again.
Speaker 4:Rock Coulee Village. It's out in the county, it's off of Harris Road. Yes, yes, okay, yes, okay. So so back in the day and this goes back to college educated or middle class let's say middle class families, in that time period, late 60s, early 70s there were very few communities where people could actually buy a home Correct Right, buy a home, correct Right, and so that was one of the communities that was actually designed by a school teacher, and I want to think of what was her husband. I don't know if he was an architect or not, but that name rock Cooley. It was Rachel Augustus. I'd have to call my mom to get the rest of it but that's where rock Cooley came from.
Speaker 4:It was named after them and they created a community for minorities, minorities, african-americans specifically. Okay, out in the county there was another community that's off of Dandridge, blanking on the name of that one, and then there's also Morningside, but there were two or three communities where middle class families, middle class minority families, could buy a home, and so that was ours. We were in Rockaway Village and everyone worked together. So my mom, who? She was a pioneer in her own right, she worked for Tennessee Valley Authority, so she would drive out to Norris, tennessee, 26 miles each way, yes, so no one was there to get me off the bus, right, right, so I would walk over to Miss Kemp's house.
Speaker 4:Miss Kemp was the neighborhood lady. There were two of them, miss Kemp and Miss McGee. They were the ones who would sell the candy out of the, you know, off the back porch or whatever. But she also kept me and my brother after school until my mom got home. Then we had miss mitchell who was up the street and, like mom, didn't have time necessarily to do a lot of laundry, so she would, mom would take the basket of clothes up the street and she would wash, but she didn't have time to iron, so she would take the clothes up the street and she would do the ironing to help mom out. Wow, yeah, exactly so, uh, you know everybody and they just kind of work together.
Speaker 3:I grew up in harriman and um, everybody took care of everybody and no kids went unfed, you know. And and I tell people this, I'm like I guess I would say we were poor, but we didn't know we were, because my mom and dad always made it happen. We didn't lack things, like as a kid, because they got us what we needed. You know what I'm saying. And so, even down to church, if my mom had to work, we were still in church. My grandmother took me to church, or the neighbor took us to church, that type thing.
Speaker 3:And so that's a village, you know, even in sports, you know, because I had a brother and sister and we were all in something, and I don't know how my mom shout out to my mother rest in peace how she never missed a game Out of three kids. I don't even I have Jaden now and I'm like, okay, I'm over trying to do this and Adrian helps me with this and that, but my mom did that, you know, and she had people in our community that stepped in when she could. She didn't have no more gas to give, right, you know that type thing, and I just think a village is so important.
Speaker 3:And everybody doesn't have one, right, I have learned that Everybody doesn't have one. I've learned that Everybody doesn't have one. So what would you say to our viewers, when it comes to their communities, of how to build a village, how to, you know, help their neighbor?
Speaker 4:So, first of all, it really just takes. You got to know your neighbors, right? Yes, okay, Because in knowing your neighbors you know their strengths, you know their weaknesses, you know some of their needs. You know their strengths, you know their weaknesses, you know some of their needs. They know some of your call family support groups who work together when that spouse is no longer there. Right, If that spouse is deployed, all of the other spouses in the community theirs are deployed too. So now you have people who have basically single parents who kind of pull together to make sure that everything is taken care of while the other family member is gone.
Speaker 3:So basically your upbringing helped you to when you got in the military how to form. You know villages within the parents and for the kids and all that kind of stuff. When someone got deployed, basically you keep building villages.
Speaker 4:Well, that wasn't my idea, it wasn't your idea. No, that was not my idea.
Speaker 3:But it was what you worked towards, right, you worked towards a building. You know, whatever surroundings that you had, you know, and helping other people. And I think the biggest problem I see with that. I think we're taught nowadays everything needs to be private, everything needs to be private, you know it's either you're wide open social media or everything needs to be private. So a lot of people think, when they get home, I'm going home, I'm going home to my family, so they really don't know their neighbors, they don't go and introduce yourself. Now I'll tell you, when I moved in my house, one thing that stuck out to me. Now, granted, it was seven o'clock in the morning and I was sleepy before I tell the story, but when I moved in my house seven o'clock in the morning, the welcome committee was at my door and they had these oatmeal cranberry cookies, katrina. Okay. And when I tell you these cookies, world's best cookies.
Speaker 2:Oh, really Okay good.
Speaker 4:Oh my.
Speaker 2:God.
Speaker 3:Yes, rest in peace, ms Fern, because Ms Fern passed away a few years ago and Ms Fern she was over the welcome committee, she was two doors down and Ms Fern, she was over the welcome committee, she was two doors down, and Ms Fern, her and the group of women. They came, they introduced themselves, they brought me this book of everybody's name, numbers and emails and how many kids you had. All that was in this book. Okay, wow, yes, back when I moved here 21 years ago. So, anyway, I thought that was the coolest thing. Now, keep in mind, ok, I'm in my late 20s when I move here, so I'm over here. At first I was like people really come at seven o'clock in the morning.
Speaker 4:You know that type thing.
Speaker 3:But those cookies. When I bit into the cookie I was like you can come anytime, you know. But I think it needs to be more people like Miss Fern. It needs to be more people like Ms Fern. It needs to be more people that says you know what? Hey, I've retired. How about? You know, a welcome committee?
Speaker 3:You know, build up a few of your friends and it doesn't even have to be in your subdivision, it can be people at your church that you know that their husbands have passed or their wives have passed and you go and just do a check-in. You know that is knowing your neighbor, that is knowing the people that's in your community and building up your community, that type thing. Every thanksgiving I make my kids uh, go to, we go to kroger's, we buy pies, all that kind of stuff and we go through this subdivision. Okay, to every house that we know that there's only one person living in it and it's like a lot of different women that live in my subdivision that has been passed away and they love it. Okay, valentine's we're going to go to certain houses and certain women in our subdivision we're going to go go to and say we just want to love on you.
Speaker 3:It's valentine's day and I think that's knowing your neighbor, yes, and I think we need to have more of that in um, even in the workplace. You know, um, you know we work, but there are still people in in the workplace that needs an encouraging word, that just needs, needs to hear. You know what? Hey, let me if you have a little extra money that day. Hey, can I buy you lunch?
Speaker 3:I think if we had more people that just sacrificed and kindness yeah, just straight kindness that it would really help a lot of people get through hard times. Because right now we're in a hard time world, through hard times, because right now we're in a hard time world and it's not I know a lot of people want to say it's because politics, it's a lot of different reasons why we're there and I think that we need to get out of what the media says we're supposed to be and get into what God wants us to be, and to know our neighbors and care about our neighbors and just truly be God-fearing people that want to be kind. Do you agree with that?
Speaker 4:I agree with most of that. Okay, right, I think if we can find the commonalities that we have, right, I agree, and a lot of times you're going to find that within your community. Case in point is when you talk about the media and politics and that kind of thing. I've got a girlfriend, my army buddy, right, she's down in Mississippi, it's in Mississippi, right, but she she lives in an area that's very rural, okay, and she was telling me when her husband he's from Ghana, he was in Ghana, he wasn't able to get back. When we have some difficulties with bringing people back over, he's a US citizen, he served in the Navy, but anyway, he was in Ghana visiting his family. He couldn't get back and so there was a whole eight month period that she was there by herself on this big, basically farm.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 4:And her neighbor, who has different political views than she does, looks different than she does, but he's her neighbor. He made sure that when she needed wood there was wood chopped in her and right there for her to use. When the grass needed cutting, he came and made sure the grass was cut and she was so thankful he said sure thing You're my neighbor, right.
Speaker 3:And see, that's what I love. And I do understand that politics is big right now. It's a big thing, but I just think that being kind to people, no matter what their political views are, that's what God would want us to do, and I'm like where did we miss the mark on that part of it that we allow an election to take kindness out of our hearts? When you see somebody needing, you know, whatever their kids needing clothes or whatever and you can fill that void, you need to step up, you know, and you need to try to help when you can. And that's commendable for that man to do that because he could have, you know, been stayed divided. He could have stayed divided, and you know, but he saw that a family needed help.
Speaker 4:It was his neighbor. You are my people right. You are my people right.
Speaker 3:So let's talk about caregiving, you know. So what is your form of caregiving? What is your biggest thing about?
Speaker 4:caregiving. So this goes back to the village, right. So, before I was telling you how the older ladies helped my mom out when she was trying to make a living and driving and trying to raise kids, trying to take care of her parents and then also having a career, having a career. So the older generation because they had a little bit more time, they were able to come down and help her. Well, now I'm in a situation where both my husband and I are very fortunate that our parents are still living.
Speaker 4:So we have my mom is 85. My dad is 88. His mom is 86 and his dad is 91. I have a step-mom who's 70 something we watched out her age. But you know, we're at a stage now.
Speaker 4:So, everybody's still living. Everyone is still living and it's a huge blessing. But also in that we also have, you know, we had careers and I was very, very thankful that my mom was so super supportive of me when I was all over the world, right, right, she was always there. She was always there to support me. So now it's my turn, right. And during this time period in her life when she's you know, she she's a breast cancer survivor and, fortunate for both of us, she got her diagnosis just after I retired. So I was home, so you was able to be there, I was able to be here.
Speaker 3:So I was home, so you was able to be there, I was able to be here. See, that's so awesome. Yes, so both sides of the parents are living. Do they all live in Knoxville?
Speaker 4:So that was part of the reason for coming home. Okay, People say, well, why did you come back home? You know you've been here because, she's been all over the world. But I will tell you 32 years of service, but there's nothing like people just don't realize some people don't realize the beauty of this area. Yes, knoxville and Tennessee, I agree Is just a wonderful place to be.
Speaker 3:It really is and I think you know the cost of living has went up. But if you really think about it you still can have a build a great family in Knoxville and it be affordable. I'm not saying everything is affordable, I'm not saying that, but I'm just saying that if you look at other places across the country and you compare it to Knoxville, you know our crime rate is lower than a lot of states OK, a lot of the bigger states we have a crime rate.
Speaker 3:But if you look at, if you compare them by different states, okay, our crime rate is not as high as those bigger states are in that type of thing. And of course, they have more numbers, you know.
Speaker 3:But I think that you can live in Knoxville and raise a family and really enjoy. We have a lot of things that are still free, versus in other states. You pay for everything everywhere you go. You know Georgia I would not want to live in Georgia. You pay for everything. You pay for the parking to go to a park. I mean it's amazing Well, not amazing to me, it is disheartening to me that you've got to pay for so many things. I'm not saying that Knoxville has everything free we don't. But we do have some parks that you don't have to pay for parking, you don't have to pay to get into the park, you don't have to pay for those certain things that you can just go walk, you know. Walk on a trail, you know. Clear your mind, that type thing. We have the Dogwood Arts Festivals, that type thing. Now, yes, those cost, but it's still so much cheaper than other festivals in other states and there are so many things that you can. Leadership knocks.
Speaker 3:Well what me and you both are in. You know, yes, it's an investment, but at the same time we both said off camera, we'll miss it once we leave it, because we've learned so much and it's brought us out of comfort zones. Well, I know it brought me out of comfort zones and I needed to be challenged and I can honestly say that leadership also has challenged me, honestly say that leadership also has challenged me. It's challenged me to get to know other people, get to understand other people, to have conversations, hard conversations at times.
Speaker 4:Can you say, is there anything that you?
Speaker 1:could say that you've learned out of leadership in Oxville.
Speaker 4:There's so much it's hard to kind of try to fit it down to one thing, but I would say just the opportunity to meet with all aspects right, yes. Understanding how different sections of the city operate right, Seeing it from a different perspective and then also, yeah, from a different perspective, and then from a different lens, and then the need to be able to have people, in various aspects, be able to work together for a common cause.
Speaker 3:I agree. Right and so part of Knoxville we learned in leadership, and also because there was a lot of things that I was like this is in Knoxville. There was a lot of things that I was like this is in Knoxville Right, you know, I've lived in Knoxville since 1986.
Speaker 4:And there's some things they pointed out, I was like what Well, and a lot has changed for me, because growing up here, I left in 82. I left in 82 and I would only come home to visit, and so I moved back here in 2020, the very latter part of 2022. Okay, so so much has changed, even.
Speaker 3:You're right.
Speaker 4:In that time period Right.
Speaker 3:So 40 years later, yeah, 40 years later she's like okay, I'm learning my city again, you know, and it's grown so much. And I want to touch on this is part of caregiving. But I want to touch on on, you know, the importance of having a wheel, having insurance, having um, someone in place, uh, that can look over you, and the reason why I'm bringing that is because you're in that place for your parents. Can you speak on those type things? How important it is to have someone in place that can make hard decisions for you in medical or whatever. Can you speak on that?
Speaker 4:Yeah, a little bit. So you asked me before what is a village, and so that's kind of the name of my group, right, it takes the village and what we do is we try to pull together all the best practices of what you go through as a caregiver. You know, like for me, the first time it happened to me I was in Virginia still.
Speaker 4:My husband and I were having a meal, we had just sat down, we had the news on. We were watching the news and I get a phone call from my stepmom who told me that my dad had been out driving. He has Alzheimer's. Okay, he had been out driving and she didn't know where he was and it was getting late and it was like maybe 7, 730. That's a hard call. Yeah, it's 7, 730. And I'm like, okay, I'm in Alexandria, virginia.
Speaker 4:What can I do at this point? And at that point, to make a long story short, I realized at that point there were so many things that I didn't know. Like, I know he drives a truck, I know it's a Ford, but I didn't know the make and model, right, I didn't know the license tag number, I didn't know what he had on at that point in time when he got in the truck and he went driving he couldn't operate a cell phone, because every time I would buy him a new cell phone it operates a little bit differently. He learned on the iPhone three, if you remember, he could operate that one, but you know, the networks kind of progressed so anyway. So he didn't have a phone on him either, and so it was like how in the world can we find my dad?
Speaker 4:Well, fortunately, when I did call the police department, they put out a I think it's a code gray, okay and they found out where his truck was and saw that he had been circling around. He was trying, because Knoxville has changed so much. Right, he was driving around trying to find his way back home. He was on Dandridge and he was over on UT campus because the roads have changed and he couldn't find his way back.
Speaker 3:But they got the cameras.
Speaker 4:They located where he was, police officers escorted him home and everything was fine. But I said that's something that I didn't know and I wanted to, that I didn't want that to happen to anybody else.
Speaker 4:Right. That's why the village Right. So you have a community of people who are going through similar things, who can share best practices like to tell you that you need to have certain things in place. Best practices like to tell you that you need to have certain things in place If something were to happen. Whether you live here in Knoxville with your parents or you don't. Who knows what medications they're on? Who knows what their physician's name is? Are y'all hearing what?
Speaker 3:she's saying. These are very good points that you really need to stop and think about, because think about if you got that call, that she got, that her father was missing and the cameras. Thank god for the cameras, thank god for the game, yeah, yeah but keep going.
Speaker 4:So you know, do you know their medications? Do you know that? Do you know their medical conditions? Right, because there's a generation where you don't talk about those kinds of things, so you don't necessarily know.
Speaker 4:That's a good point um, can someone get into the house, right? Do you have a key that's stashed somewhere, or is there like a realtor's lock box that's on the side of the house that only a certain number of people know what the code is to be able to get in? But have you thought through those different things if you're not there to make sure that they could be taken care of? Do you have a will? Do you have a living power of attorney? Do they have a will and living power of attorney or living will, excuse me, power of attorney, a trust? You know what happens, because those are some difficult conversations that we have and sometimes we don't have them until it's far too late.
Speaker 3:And I would say something I had to tell a friend of mine that mother just passed away. Her sister had the power of returning, and so her sister thought that she didn't need a will, they didn't need a will or anything and said oh, I'll be over everything of mom's power. Returning is only good while you're living, and so and I've been trying to say this as many times as I can A power of attorney is only during the time the person is alive, the day that they pass away, the minute they pass away.
Speaker 3:The power of attorney that power of attorney is gone, correct, okay, so you have to have. That's the reason why a will is called a last will and testament and that's why it says it's the person's last word of what they want their estate to do with, whatever their belongings are or whatever that they possess. That's what that means. But I think a lot of times people think if I have a power of attorney, I'm covered. No, no, and I'll tell you another thing is is just because you have a power of attorney over medical doesn't mean that you have a power of attorney over?
Speaker 4:everything.
Speaker 3:Right, okay, a general power of attorney. A lot of people think that because a lot of times people get power of attorneys when someone gets sick, so they go and they get that medical and they think they can make decisions on selling the house or whatever. Whatever you can't do that, you know, and so it takes people professionals in real estate or entitled to tell them that we look like we're the mean people but it's really. That's the law, you know. And so that's when I was reading about you and the different things that you're involved in and what you believe in the village and all that, I was like she needs to speak on that. You know, cause I don't think you remember, but you told me when you met David, when we went to after hour, that about your parents you said that your parents were still living and that you were taking care of them. I didn't know, it was both sets.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I didn't know both sets.
Speaker 3:But think about that. You've stepped in and said you know what? My mom and dad took care of me. They made a way for me. So now they can't take care of their self like they could years ago. So I'm going to take care of them, and I think more kids need to realize yes, I understand you have your own family and you have all the dynamics of that, but take care of your parents, because I'm without parents, and if God could give me five minutes, just five minutes, you know I would love on my parents like no other. There would be nothing above it. And so it's commendable what you're doing with your family and just keep doing that. How can people get in touch with you? How can people get involved in the things that you are trying to do out in the community?
Speaker 4:So I have a website, go ahead. It's called KatrinaHallSmithcom and it basically talks about. It takes a village and you can contact me through the website, set up a phone call, join a community. So yeah, I would. I would love to hear and hear some of the experiences that others who are taking care of their parents are having and then also provide a support group for them, so that you can find out some of the other best practices, have an ear to bend when you're going through some challenges and have some support and then also learn about how to take care of yourself as well. Right, because you can get lost in it.
Speaker 3:You can Right. I know that feeling. You can get a little lost. You never got sick, yeah.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, and so it's nice to be able to have a group to be able to talk to about some of those challenges that you may have.
Speaker 3:So can you tell them one more time your website and how to get in touch with you?
Speaker 4:Yes, so it's KatrinaHallSmithcom.
Speaker 3:KatrinaHallSmithcom, and I recommend you to call her, tune in every Friday to Talk in Tennessee with Yvonca, because we are here to serve you.
Speaker 1:Bye, guys. Thanks for listening to Talk in Tennessee with Yvonca. Watch out for our weekly episodes from the First Family of Real Estate and check us out on the web wwwyvoncasalesrealestatecom. See our videos on Yvonca's YouTube channel or find us on Facebook under Yvonca Landis and Twitter at Yvonca Landis, and don't forget to tell a friend about us. Until next time. Yvonca Landis and Twitter at Yvonca Landis. And don't forget to tell a friend about us. Until next time. Yvonca signing off.