Talkin' Tennessee with Yvonnca
Talkin' Tennessee with Yvonnca
From Army to Medicine: Dr. Katrina Hall-Smith's Journey
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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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Introduction to Talking Tennessee
Speaker 1Check 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 .
Speaker 2This episode is brought to you by the Landis team , your go-to real estate family in East Tennessee . If you are looking to buy or sell , we are the ones you should call . Give us a call at 865-660-1186 or check out our website at YvoncaSellsRealEstatecom . That's Yvonca Y-V-O-N-N-C-A SalesRealEstatecom .
Speaker 3Welcome 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 4Thank you so much for having me . I really appreciate it .
Speaker 3Most 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
Meeting Dr. Katrina Hall-Smith
Speaker 3on 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 2are you Well ?
Speaker 4first 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 2Yes , and .
Speaker 4I enjoy every one of them .
Speaker 3I 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
Family Background and Education Values
Speaker 3and what made you want to go to college ?
Speaker 4Well , 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 4Both 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 4OK 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 3So , 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 4So my grandfather was not college educated . He didn't go to Knoxville College . That was my dad . Okay , your dad .
Speaker 3Okay , 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 3And 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 3And 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 4So , 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 4And 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 4So 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 3You 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
Military Career and Desert Storm
Speaker 3in the army correct Correct In the army . Talk about it .
Speaker 4Tell 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 3So you went to .
Speaker 4Holston , I did yeah , holston .
Speaker 2When it was still a high school right , yeah .
Speaker 4So he had challenged me to apply to the military academy and I was like , first of all , what ?
Speaker 1What are you talking about ? What you know ?
Speaker 4And 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 3She says date a little bit .
Speaker 4Oh , you're in high school , so I'm just dating .
Speaker 3You're really doing right Two or three days .
Speaker 4Exactly , 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 3So it was more , so I dare . She's like listen , I can show you , I can do it just like you .
Speaker 4Right , 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 3So 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 4I 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 3That's right . I'm trying to go in the army , exactly .
Speaker 4Exactly , 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 4Really , I didn't know that Track . Basketball , volleyball , you name it . Oh , you had to learn , I had to learn .
Speaker 3And so so , of the sports , which one did you like the most ?
Speaker 4Volleyball .
Speaker 3Volleyball , okay , volleyball . And basketball ?
Speaker 4Yeah , 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 3So when you got into the service , where was ?
Speaker 4you stationed at , so my initial assignment was in Germany , germany , germany , yeah .
Speaker 3Is 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 4OK , so when you got , to Germany .
Speaker 3How was it ?
Speaker 4I loved it you loved it . I absolutely loved it .
Speaker 3How long was you there ?
Speaker 4I 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 3Okay .
Speaker 4And .
Speaker 3How many times have you been deployed ?
Speaker 4Three .
Speaker 3Three times , okay , yeah .
Speaker 4So 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 2Yeah , some .
Speaker 4of 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 4We'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 4I 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 3And 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 4It 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 3What made you go into the medical part of it ?
Speaker 4I 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 4But 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 4And 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 3You were basically in charge .
Speaker 2No .
Speaker 3She said no .
Speaker 4I 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 3Right .
Speaker 4So 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 4There 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 4That 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 4Well , 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 4right , 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 3Yes , so here I go and you was glad .
Speaker 4Here 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 3Wow , well , god Right , but God Because ?
Speaker 4during 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 3But Right .
Speaker 4But God , but God , but God .
Speaker 3I'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 3So 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 4When I was born , I was two and a half months premature .
Path to Becoming a Physician
Speaker 4I 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 4Thank 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 4So 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 3Yeah , 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 3I 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 4So , 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 3Exactly 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 4out . 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 3And 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 4So 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 3Say that again .
Speaker 4Rock 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 4It was named after them and they created a community for
What Makes a Village Work
Speaker 4minorities , 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 4Miss 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 3I 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 3And 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 3And 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 4So , 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 3So 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 4Well , that wasn't my idea , it wasn't your idea . No , that was not my idea .
Speaker 3But 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 2Oh , really Okay good .
Speaker 4Oh my .
Speaker 2God .
Speaker 3Yes , 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 4You know that type thing .
Speaker 3But 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 3You 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 3It'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 3I 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 4I 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 2Right .
Speaker 4And 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 3And 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 4It was his neighbor . You are my people right . You are my people right .
Speaker 3So let's talk about caregiving , you know . So what is your form of caregiving ? What is your biggest thing about ?
Speaker 4caregiving . 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 4So 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 4So , 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
Caregiving and Family Responsibilities
Speaker 4you 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 3So 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 4So 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 3It 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 3But 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 3But 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 3Well 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 4Can you say , is there anything that you ?
Speaker 1could say that you've learned out of leadership in Oxville .
Speaker 4There'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 3I 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 4And 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 3You're right .
Speaker 4In that time period Right .
Speaker 3So 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 4Yeah , 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 4My 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 4What 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 4Well , 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 3But they got the cameras .
Speaker 4They 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 4Right . 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 3she'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 4So 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 4That'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 3And 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 3The 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 4everything .
Speaker 3Right , 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
Key Resources and Final Thoughts
Speaker 3that your parents were still living and that you were taking care of them . I didn't know , it was both sets .
Speaker 2So yeah , I didn't know both sets .
Speaker 3But 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 4So 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 3You can Right . I know that feeling . You can get a little lost . You never got sick , yeah .
Speaker 4Yeah , 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 3So can you tell them one more time your website and how to get in touch with you ?
Speaker 4Yes , so it's KatrinaHallSmithcom .
Speaker 3KatrinaHallSmithcom , 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 1Bye , 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 .