First born

I am the firstborn son of a firstborn son, but it wasn’t until my first son was born 21 years ago that I began to understand how little I knew about being a parent. Carla and I waited until she finished her master of social work degree before having children. It took us a little … Continue reading First born →

Winner, winner hamburger dinner

I attended what was then known as Troy State University from 1988 to 1992 on a full academic scholarship. The financial aid package, named for former Alabama Governor George C. Wallace (no relation), covered tuition, fees, room, and board. The “board” part of my scholarship entitled me to 20 meals per week in Stewart Dining … Continue reading Winner, winner hamburger dinner →

What I admire most about my dad

Today’s post is in celebration of my dad’s 78th birthday. All relationships are complicated at times, and the bond between fathers and sons is especially freighted with family history, birth order dynamics and role expectations. I have been blessed to enjoy the benefits of a healthy relationship with my dad for nearly all of my … Continue reading What I admire most about my dad →

Four walls and a roof

I hate moving. Moving is one of my least favorite activities because when you’re married to Carla, moving means painting. I hate painting. When we first got married we lived in an apartment with vaulted ceilings. Because of her need for color and beauty, she insisted we paint the rooms, forfeiting our security deposit and … Continue reading Four walls and a roof →

Thoughts on Lanny

On Nov. 1, 2013, my father-in-law, Lanny Barron, was in an automobile accident on his way to his house in Sandersville from his family's farm outside of town. He died on Thanksgiving, Nov. 28. Today's essay is the eulogy I had the honor of delivering at Lanny's funeral. He and Cynthia would have been married … Continue reading Thoughts on Lanny →

Mercer pride

I had just wrapped up a conference call and had about 15 minutes until I needed to leave my office for my next meeting on the other side of the Georgia Tech campus. A quick check of the Mercer-Duke score revealed Duke had pulled ahead. No need to get excited. The Number 3 seed was … Continue reading Mercer pride →

Preserving the art of Southern storytelling

I had been to Arkansas only once in my life until a month ago. Now, I’m transported to the Starving Artist Café in the Argenta Arts District of North Little Rock once a week for an incredible 30-to-40-minute immersion into the wide-ranging true experiences of Southerners. In the last month I’ve discovered and gotten hooked … Continue reading Preserving the art of Southern storytelling →

Truth in labeling

There comes a time in every parent’s life when they are faced with the sudden and shocking realization that their children are no longer children. Monday morning I pulled an undershirt out of the drawer, and there at the back of the collar, just above the imprinted size and manufacturing information was the letter “L” … Continue reading Truth in labeling →

New tricks

Jack is an old dog. To you and me he’s 16, but according to the Pedigree Dog Calculator, he’s the equivalent of an 80-year-old man. Jack has outlived his brother, Joe, by about 10 years. He’s outlived his best friend, my father-in-law, by three months now and counting. He’s an old dog, but he is … Continue reading New tricks →

It’s all downhill

These were two journeys I didn’t want to take. I was less than thrilled to be “voluntold” by my wife back before Christmas that I was chaperoning our son’s first snow skiing adventure in January with the youth from church. This attitude was mirrored in my less-than-enthusiastic embrace of said son reaching the adolescent milestone … Continue reading It’s all downhill →