We moved to the Atlanta suburbs in March of 2003. When July 4th rolled around that first year, we naively thought we would just take the short, 10-minute drive to Stone Mountain to catch the fireworks. As it turned out, 20,000 other Atlantans had the same idea. The place was packed. We didn’t even get … Continue reading Patriotism … with lasers!
Center of attention
The only two homes I have owned – or, more accurately, been on my way to owning – have had a fireplace. And with the fireplace comes the obligatory mantel. I will explore the wisdom and necessity of setting wood ablaze inside your home in a different essay, but today I am concerned more about the … Continue reading Center of attention
Teach your children well
It’s an understatement to say my dad taught me a lot while I was growing up. He taught me right from wrong, self-discipline, the value of a dollar, how to maintain cleanliness and order, the importance of doing a job well and how to nurture a strong faith. Dad also taught me a number of … Continue reading Teach your children well
Stop, listen, what’s that sound?
By now, many of you have already discovered the unique pleasures of the emergence of Brood XIX. For about the last month, the 13-year cicada has been coming up out of the soil to sing its song, do its thing, die off and come back in another 13 years. By around July 4, it’ll be … Continue reading Stop, listen, what’s that sound?
Baiting your own hook
For a moment I thought he was actually going to do it. With the early summer sun beating down on us, my two older sons, ages 10 and 6, and I prepped our fishing poles on the banks of Lake Hamburg. We had completed the sweaty job of putting up our tents and setting up … Continue reading Baiting your own hook
Y’all be sure and drive slow
Not all trends in the New South are welcomed by traditional Southerners with an appreciation for history. In fact, their voices tend to be among the loudest decrying the increasing recreationalization of Memorial Day. It’s hard to disagree with their case. I doubt very seriously that when Gen. John Logan proclaimed May 5, 1868, the … Continue reading Y’all be sure and drive slow
The dangerous South
For an observer of Southern trends, it’s hard to ignore the tornadoes and floods afflicting the South this spring. I’ve always thought California was the most disaster-prone region of the United States. They have earthquakes, wildfires, droughts, mudslides and traffic. But lately, the South seems to be giving the West Coast a run for its … Continue reading The dangerous South
I’m just sayin’ bless his heart
The not-so-secret code of Southern passive aggressive speech is most fully realized in the simple phrase “bless his heart.” This quintessential put-down has become so cliché that every Southern sit-com from “The Andy Griffith Show” to “Designing Women” to “Evening Shade” has referenced it. What’s interesting is that “bless her heart” is being replaced. In … Continue reading I’m just sayin’ bless his heart
Call your Mommer ‘n ’em
As long as I can remember, my mother has been “Mom.” I’m sure when I was just a babbling little baby she started out as “Mama.” There was probably even a “Mommy” phase that ended at about the age of 8. It wasn’t until I got to college in Troy, Ala., that I routinely heard … Continue reading Call your Mommer ‘n ’em
My big royal redneck wedding
While I type, NBC’s Today Show hosts talk breathlessly about the royal family members entering Westminster Abbey for the wedding of the decade. William and Catherine’s nuptials have created a media stir, drawing the obsessive attention of anglophiles and royalty voyeurs from around the world. It is reality TV at its most unreal. As I … Continue reading My big royal redneck wedding
New South Essays 