The argument usually starts with this admonition from my wife: “You need to learn to say ‘No.’” The problem is that by the time this conversation happens, it’s too late. I’ve already committed myself to a number of conflicting responsibilities. At the moment I say “Yes” to anything, I’m starting down a path that will … Continue reading ‘Yes’ and ‘No’
Category: Uncategorized
The favorite part of my day
With so much noise in our lives in the New South, I often fail to listen to my children. Now that school has started again, I have a daily opportunity to engage with my boys on a meaningful level each night at the dinner table. It's the favorite part of my day. This week we … Continue reading The favorite part of my day
My semi-annual appraisal
There are two times a year I evaluate the direction of my life: New Year’s and my birthday. New Year’s resolutions are somewhat cliché, but the start of a new calendar year is a natural time to take stock of your life, look at your goals and determine course corrections. My birthday falls nearly eight … Continue reading My semi-annual appraisal
A case for camp
Children need summer camp. Whether it is secular or religious, one week or several, day camp or residential, children need to participate in camp. I have no credentials to make this assertion. I am not a noted child psychologist or a Ph.D. in childhood development. I’m just a parent who has been to camp with … Continue reading A case for camp
Preachers
I am fascinated by preachers. It’s not a delusional, put-them-on-a pedestal kind of thing but more like a burning curiosity to understand what makes them tick. I’ve been thinking about preachers a lot lately. My brothers and my dad are preachers of one sort or another, and their recent transitions have been on my mind. … Continue reading Preachers
Dear Writer Lance: A Letter from Your Wife
Dear Writer Lance, One of the first things I loved about you--even before I knew I loved you--was your way with words. You see, back when I knew who you were and was dying for you to ask me out but you hadn't yet, I started subscribing to The Macon Telegraph. Now why would a never-cared-about-the-news-before college … Continue reading Dear Writer Lance: A Letter from Your Wife
Privacy in the New South
Wouldn't you hate to be the guy at the National Security Agency (NSA) reading all the lame Facebook posts trying to find evidence of terrorist activity or foreign espionage? OK, so it's probably not some guy analyzing petabytes of data over at the NSA, but still, it's got to be a thankless job. Even a … Continue reading Privacy in the New South
Words mean things
I used to work for a South Carolinian who issued colorful quips and witticisms the way most people speak casual greetings. One of Ben’s favorites was “Words mean things.” This week the Internet has been abuzz with the controversy surrounding the words used by Southern cooking diva Paula Deen. The brouhaha over Paula’s admission in a deposition that … Continue reading Words mean things
Flip flops and running shoes
What you pack for vacation says a lot about you. Vacation is that time of year when you are released from the bonds of work long enough for your true personality to emerge. Maybe it’s the only time all year you have real choices about how to spend your time. Maybe it’s when you discover there … Continue reading Flip flops and running shoes
A Father’s Wish
Last Saturday I had the opportunity to spend four uninterrupted hours in the car with my oldest son. There were certain topics I had decided ahead of time that I wanted to discuss with him to take advantage of this gift of time alone.We had no trouble talking about how he spent his week with … Continue reading A Father’s Wish
New South Essays 