I am blessed with myriad joys in my life -- being married to Carla, parenting three wonderful young men, participating in our family of faith at Parkway Baptist Church, and many more. When joy is given a location -- the now cliche "happy place" -- my mind always goes to our summer family vacations to … Continue reading Beach happy
Author: lanceelliottwallace
Lance Elliott Wallace lives and writes in the Atlanta suburb of Lilburn. A native of Texas and a former resident of Florida and Alabama, Lance married a Georgia girl and together they are rearing three Georgia boys. By day he communicates for the higher education institutions of Georgia. He spends his early morning hours praying, writing and walking.
College visits produce anxiety, nostalgia
The joke about campus tours is that they’re all the same. This short video from College Humor captures it nicely. After taking two such tours this week with my middle son, Harris, I’ve concluded that, yes, touring campuses starts to feel like deja vu after a while, but if you’re paying attention, there’s a lot … Continue reading College visits produce anxiety, nostalgia
Becoming my father
As I age, I hear my father’s words come out of my mouth with greater frequency. I see how strongly I have been imprinted by my father. I have his creativity, work ethic, conviction, stubbornness, and tendency toward anger as a way of expressing concern. I deeply love and respect my father, and as my … Continue reading Becoming my father
River rescue
From my earliest days as a rookie features writer at The Macon Telegraph in 1992, I heard reporters talk about canoeing the Ocmulgee River and writing about it for the paper. I was young and foolish enough to attempt it. In the late summer of 1993 I began the ambitious project of paddling the entire … Continue reading River rescue
Above ground
This time of year always makes me nostalgic for the glorious summer-and-a-half my family had an above-ground swimming pool. With temperatures climbing into the 90s now, I can't help but wish for a dip in the pool like those carefree summer days in my pre-teens. This vintage ad from the 1980s gives you an idea … Continue reading Above ground
Thank a teacher
We've reached the season of commencement ceremonies, high school graduations, end-of-year awards banquets and last-day-of-school parties. As another exhausting academic year comes to a close, remember to thank your teachers. I graduated from Troy University 30 years ago next month. Here's a heartfelt note of appreciation to my primary journalism professor: We arrived at Troy … Continue reading Thank a teacher
Beware of the sloppy joe
All families have stories that approach legendary status. Ours is the story of my dad and the sloppy joe. It's probably the family story I tell most often because my tradition-loving middle son, Harris, insists I tell it every time we eat sloppy joes. Have plenty of napkins on hand and maybe look into some … Continue reading Beware of the sloppy joe
My mother’s voice
I can’t remember the last time I heard my mother sing. I’m sure it was during a visit to my parents’ church before my dad retired, but that was four or five years ago now. I didn’t realize I missed hearing her sing until a clear childhood memory of Mom practicing a solo for our … Continue reading My mother’s voice
What’s in a name, part 1
Our middle son will turn 17 on May 2, and this is the perfect time to look at how our penchant for family names resulted in him being named "Harris Goodman Wallace." See what I mean about the hair? Our second born was the only one of the three we didn’t know the gender of … Continue reading What’s in a name, part 1
My earliest memory
It’s difficult to separate my actual memories from my memories of old photographs. It’s why people take pictures in the first place. Many of the images of my early childhood are captured on slides rather than prints, and the slides are in carousels at my parents’ house, packed away in closets, unseen in 30 or … Continue reading My earliest memory
New South Essays 