A Liberal
Dose
October 27,
2022
Troy D.
Smith
“Allow me
to (re)introduce myself”
John Gottlied started his first column by introducing
himself and telling about his background. It occurrs to me that I never did
that, I just jumped right in with the arguing part back in February, 2021. I
think I was assuming that a lot of people knew me already -but this is a bigger
town that it used to be, so I probably shouldn’t make such assumptions. I’ll
remedy that now.
First, though, I want to say a couple of words about
John. I’ve known him since the sixth grade. In fact, that sixth grade class at
Findlay also included (among many others) our current state senator Paul Bailey
and his future wife Amy. Now, I disagree with both John and Paul politically a
good 75% of the time. Okay, with Paul maybe it’s more like 85%. But I still
respect them both enormously, think the world of them, and consider them to be
good friends. I can say that about a lot of people in this town, and I think
many among us have lost sight of that attitude. That said, I thought John was
an ideal person to counterbalance my opinion on here… because he will not take
it easy on me. He will give me heck, and do so in a way that forces me to
think. And that will go both ways, to the ultimate benefit of us both (whether
we eventually agree or not). And we probably won’t even call each other names
or threaten to shoot each other. That’s what America is, and what it should be.
All right, then, here’s my story.
I was born in Sparta in 1968. My mom was born here,
too; my dad moved here from Overton County when he was eight. My grandparents
were all from Jackson or Overton County, where their families had all lived for
a hundred years or more. My dad’s dad, Doyle Smith, Sr., worked as a farmer for
decades for Sam Breeding and his son Bob. Before that he had been in prison
twice, once for making moonshine and once for selling it. My mom’s paternal
grandfather, Andrew Dennis, worked at Hunter’s Funeral Home when the hearses
were horse-drawn.
I graduated from WCHS in 1986. I went into mission
work for the next three years, part of it spent in South Florida and part in
New York City, working with Haitian immigrants. I served in French-speaking
congregations, building on the three years I studied French at WCHS (one of
them informally) with the beloved and lamented Mrs. Sarah Jane Thurman. That
time spent working to help immigrants was one of the most valuable experiences
of my life. Meanwhile, I supported myself (and later my family) by janitorial
work for over twenty years. In my twenties I started to take writing seriously,
and eventually got published in various magazines and anthologies, then having
my novels published. It didn’t go a long way toward paying the bills, though,
so at age 32 I started college at Tennessee Tech as a double-major in English
and history. From there I went to the University of Illinois, where I earned my
master’s and Ph.D in history. I was lucky enough to get a job at my alma mater
and move back to my home town.
That’s the abridged version. I am a product of these
mountains and hollers, and love them deeply, as I love Sparta and Tennessee. I
want only the best for everyone in them. I have a particular passion for the
rights and needs of the people who grew up poor like I did. That passion
extends to the Natives who were driven from here, to my black friends who also
grew up here, to the immigrants (of every shade and religion) who have come
here for a better life. To the gay and trans folks. To the recent arrivals.
And it extends to you.
--Troy D.
Smith, a White County native, is a novelist and a history professor at
Tennessee Tech. His words do not necessarily represent TTU.
You can find all previous entries in this weekly column HERE
A list of other historical essays that have appeared on this blog can be found HERE
Author's website: www.troyduanesmith.com
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