Low Jinks in the State of Franklin

Low Jinks in the State of Franklin

Just for the record, I am an honorary citizen of the State of Franklin, bestowed on me by County Health Department Officials in Cullowhee, North Carolina, site of Western Carolina University.

I was at the University for a week with fellow classmates and School of Public Health professors from UNC Chapel Hill, when I voluntarily helped local officials develop a project proposal for a health planning grant. Grateful for my help, they made me an honorary citizen at a banquet closing out our week at the University.

In 1784 North Carolina ceded four counties on the Western slope of the Appalachians to the Federal Government to pay off the debt they had incurred fighting the War of Independence. John Sevier declared independence for the area, and ran it as a state for four years, and it almost became the 14th state in the union. How this all happened makes interesting reading, but not here. For anyone interested I recommend Google.

But to the banquet. I should note that the students in my group were all adults and career Public Health Service employees. I, myself, was married with two children. The point being, that this was no young student older professor relationship.

The banquet started with the usual set of welcome and thanks speeches. The final speaker being the one who singled me out for my honorary citizenship, doing so in a very laudatory manner. As fate would have it, I was seated next to the professor who had organized our visit and he was unaware of my activities outside the regular program. He turned to me and questioned me about how this had come to pass. I explained how, as is my wont, I just pitched in with ideas and suggestions when I found myself with local health department staff one evening and then stuck with them until finished.

My professor listened, thought for a minute, made a slight harumph, and basically shrugged it off as being of little consequence.

When it was time for the meal to be served, my professor had to leave the table for a bit, and left instructions to tell the waitress that he had selected the steak. Moments later the waitress appeared at our table and confirmed our entre' selections.

Without any prior intent to do so, I got the waitress’ attention and gave her additional instructions. I told her that the professor always left the table right before the meal was served because he was embarrassed that he was no longer able to cut up his meat without dropping his knife or fork on the floor. Consequently he left it up to us to ask the waitress to cut his steak up in bite size pieces while he was away from the table. That way he could return to his meal without worry of dropping anything.

Good natured and accommodating young lady that she was, she dutifully began cutting up his steak and was almost through when he returned. To the professor's credit, he just stood there and watched and did not say a word. When she finished and turned, she smiled at him and said, “There, all done.” and walked away pleased at the good deed she had done.

Nor did the good professor make any comment to me or others at the table. He just ate his meal, not needing to cut it up like the rest of us had to, drank his wine, carried on a normal conversation, and never during the rest of the banquet or at any other time did he mention the extra service he had received, at least not within my hearing.

Considering that he had to sign off on my thesis and taught one of my better classes, I never said anything either.