There is something wrong with time. I don’t know what “science” would say, but my astute powers of observation lead me to conclude time is accelerating. Why, just yesterday I was sitting here at this very desk on this very MacBook writing the Official Wallace Family Christmas Letter 2024. Seriously. What is going on here? … Continue reading The Official Wallace Family Christmas Letter 2025
Apparently there are filters on my email and social media accounts preventing any content from getting through without the words “gift guide” appearing somewhere in the text, meta description or ALT tag. This is the season of giving, and to help me prepare, my algorithm and the host of online retailers with whom I’ve ever … Continue reading The official guide to gift guides
Unlike every other internet influencer that has been serving up Christmas content since August, New South Essays observes a rigorous adherence to a holiday schedule that allows each celebration to have its own, dedicated season. With Thanksgiving now in the rear view, we can officially turn our attention to Christmas. And in this season of … Continue reading The definitive must-watch Christmas movie list
In our modern age we rely on precision in our measurements. Even when we don’t need it, our devices give it to us. Google maps tell us how far away Grandma’s house is, down to the tenth of a mile. Our scale gives us our weight to the hundredth of a pound. Our workout app … Continue reading A heap of Thanksgiving measurement
This weekend we are celebrating my Darling Beloved’s birthday, a few days removed from the actual anniversary of her birth. It will include time with her mama, her children and their significant others, a celebratory dinner out, and the always fun Cirque du Soleil. And I’m here to say that she is worth all of … Continue reading What I needed to hear
I am old enough to remember a time when exactly two foods could be delivered to your home with a phone call: pizza and Chinese. If you lived in a small town, had relatives nearby or belonged to a caring church, you might also have food delivered to you if a loved one passed, you … Continue reading Having your hopes ‘doordashed’
In the New South, we have so many choices on where to eat out, my Darling Beloved and I resort to the process of elimination, filtering by geography to narrow our voluminous choices. It goes something like this: Me: What do you want to go for dinner tonight? DB: I don’t care. You pick a … Continue reading Get thee to a ‘meat and three’
When you’re one of 93,033 screaming, barking fans Between the Hedges on a fall Saturday, it doesn’t seem like a statistically unlikely occurrence. And when you are among 4,000-plus taking in a show in the Broadway series at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, you are not that special. When it happens somewhat spontaneously during a busy season … Continue reading Say ‘yes’ to the best
There are two kinds of personality tests: scientifically valid and silly. This is the latter. Among the myriad serious assessments of your “type” or “preferences” are Enneagram, DISC Profile, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Big Five Personality Test (aka OCEAN), and Clifton Strengths Finder. I’ve taken them all at various points in my illustrious career and … Continue reading Mexican restaurant personality quiz
At the risk of sounding like a “Get off my lawn!” old person, I can’t help but marvel at how technological failures can ruin a customer experience. As I descend (ascend?) into “Get off my lawn!” maturity, I have noted a steep decline in customer service in all facets of life. Perhaps you have as … Continue reading Technology-driven customer service ineptitude
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