Thomas Repass September 15th, 2023
“Are you good at surfing?” This is one such question I diligently prepared in my early waking hours before meeting with the man himself. Eric Thomas is a teacher arduously working for this school under the department of history. He has made his name in numerous ways including such titles as The Roanoke Times, Collegiate Times, and the hearts of his students. Sitting down with him in the anxious minutes before the start of our stampede towards first period, I began an interview of Redwood forests, granite peaks, and turquoise waves.
“As a history teacher you always know how to set up and describe a new place. In this case, what was California like growing up?”
“Well, like any place Northern California is really diverse. The San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley-Bay Area in the 70’s and 80’s, what was it like? It was wild! First of all I’d say it was filled with culture, almost every language from across the globe was spoken in the schools I went to, and every religion practiced around the world was represented. Even my neighborhood was diverse with different foods and interactions. It was very diverse, and when you talk about change, especially in Oakland, it was just ‘wow’. With the Free Speech Movement and the Vietnam War, the Black Panther Movement, Women's Rights Movement, it was all intertwined to create an environment that was radical, politically radical. That formed a lot of my early consciousness.”
He proceeded to lean forward across his desk and asked me if that was an acceptable answer. I told him the truth with a brief laugh, of course it was.
“My next question is, what were your favorite moments growing up in California? When I say that word, ‘California’, what’s the first thing that pops into your mind?”
He sighed dreamily at memories flashing by, then began, “So there’s growing up and then there’s being a young adult, because I left there when I was thirty. When it comes to growing up, it was probably that diversity. I wasn’t aware of it at the time but within a one to two block radius I had Asian-American friends whose parents still spoke Chinese in the house and cooked authentic foods. The culture was very much present. When it comes to getting older and being able to range out a bit more, I’d have to say the geography. Oakland is just across the bay from San Francisco, so the beaches weren’t far away. My parents were divorced and I grew up in my moms house until I was a young teenager and then I went to live with my dad in the foothills, there’s a belt of Redwood Parks up there. I’d have to say I loved the natural resources, the parks, the bay, the beaches, the Sierra Nevada mountains. When we were old enough we’d skip school-”, At this he leans closer, “-sorry but it happened. We’d jam up and go skiing or hike around the lakes. During high school there was a wide open possibility of things to do. You could go to clubs or wander Berkley at night, go to museums or concerts, it was all like a circus.”
He animates this with his hands, making mountains and plunging fingers quick down for skiing. It’s a conversation of shadow puppets, past memories painted on a wall.
“So, you mentioned the beaches. I’ve heard you surf, do you like it, and are you good?”
“I surf when I get the chance, it’s been a while. A, I love it, B, I’m not very good. I was better when I could do it every day. You know, there are few things in the world that are truly soul-satisfying, but surfing is one of them, even if you don’t catch a wave. It’s really humbling, the ocean is stronger than you are and it lets you know that every time you go out. So yes, I love it, but I’m not very good anymore.”
I laugh along at most of his descriptions, and marvel in silence at the eloquence of his words. I’ve never been surfing, but I can imagine being swept up in the vastness of the ocean, a lone speck in a great blue expanse of shifting waves. I have little time to be in awe, however, as I move to the next question.
“What are a few differences between here and California? I’m sure there’s many.”
“That’s difficult, I lived in so many Northern areas with all these biomes. But first I’d have to say mountains. People around here say they live in the mountains, with all respect, these aren’t mountains. These are like bumps on a map, respect, but the Sierra Nevada eleven-thousand foot tall peaks of granite with alpine lakes, those are mountains. Then to hit a theme, proximity to the beach. We’re five or six hours away from a beach, and that’s hard! Another thing is, people are generally friendlier out here, maybe because we’re in a small town. Life just seems generally slower paced.”
At this I nod, as will all of our readers. To anyone who has lived in Blacksburg, you must accept the concept of time as its own being, prone to crawl slowly at times and run fast almost never. I ask the final question.
“What made you decide to go across the United States from California to the small town of Blacksburg, Virginia?”
He laughs, louder than he’s laughed the whole interview. It’s a question that embodies the phrase ‘elephant in the room’, and I’ve finally discussed it.
“The answer is, and it comes across so cheesy, man, but it was true love. I never thought I’d leave coastal Northern California, it was a paradise on Earth. However, my wife was born here, she went to Blacksburg High School and did her undergrad at Tech. Long story short, I came out to visit some friends who were at Tech, and met her. We really liked each other but I had to go back to California. She moved to New York City, started working for MTV, and when I talked to my friends they said I should call her. I called her up, click. I flew to New York, she flew to California, and we did it long distance for nine months. She graduated with her masters degree and I graduated with my teaching degree at the same time. We found ourselves unfettered, and she said she wanted to get a PHD. Tech gave her a killer offer, so we went. I always joke around with her, she’ll know when she reads this. She always said ‘five years tops babe’ this was in 99’, she says afterwards we could get jobs anywhere we want, in Tucson Arizona or Chicago. We’re still here. However, I always said that if I was gonna leave paradise, this isn’t a bad place to land. That’s the long answer made short, true love. The woman I fell in love with and am still in love with came from here, so we came here.”
With this, I ended the interview satisfied with myself and the images swirling in my head. A land of beaches and scarlet trees up to its ears in cultural diversity. Salty ocean air, mountains as tall as the sky, a paradise on earth. All of it was given up for true love. It’s not too bad a trade.
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