When we first moved to Lilburn, Ga., way back in “aught three,” we developed a metric to identify when it would feel like home: My Darling Beloved and I knew Lilburn was home when we took our then two-year-old son, Barron, to Bruster’s for an ice cream and saw someone we knew. I can’t recall … Continue reading Seeing people you know
Last Friday night as I sat on my comfy sofa in my air conditioned house, I turned to my Darling Beloved and said, “Do you know where we would have been at this exact time four years ago?” “In a football stadium somewhere sweating to death?” “Something like that.” August is the worst climatological point … Continue reading Retired band parents
I am living a nightmare. You know the one in which you find yourself on stage or in front of a class or maybe even in a boardroom, performing, lecturing or presenting and you suddenly realize you are in your underwear, or, even worse, completely naked? (I believe the technical term is “naked as a … Continue reading In the spotlight
I love when a conversation turns Southern. My day job recently had me in our nation’s capitol for a conference. These events are catnip to me. My extroversion explodes. Meeting new people, making connections, networking and engaging in conversations energizes me. About 700-800 people, give or take, attended this conference, and I knew only a … Continue reading When a conversation turns Southern
When my Darling Beloved assembled an amazing itinerary for a four-night stay in New York City for our youngest's spring break, I expected a few of its features: Spending quality time away from work on a family adventure. Six Broadway shows in four days. Colder temperatures than I was used to in Atlanta this early … Continue reading A walk in the park
... but I will anyway. On March 30, 2026, Barron Wallace of Lilburn, Ga., proposed marriage to Margaret "Meg" Rooney of Richmond, Va., in a rented, white Penske truck on the side of Interstate 85 just north of Greenville, S.C. She said "yes." The significance of these seemingly mundane details will be clearer momentarily, but … Continue reading It’s not my news to share…
I am old enough to remember a time when kids had to learn to drive with everyone around them blissfully unaware that their life was in danger. It was a simpler time when "road rage" incidents made the local news and didn't have their own category on YouTube. We learned to drive and taught our … Continue reading Please be patient
I recently discovered a 24-year-old reality TV show, and I am obsessed. Streaming live for free on the internet since 2012, this show airs most days between 9 a.m. and noon from January to the first few days of April. Occasionally there are special episodes that run longer or even air at night, and there … Continue reading My new favorite reality TV show
Confrontations with the truth can be so startling it takes time to process the impact. We adopted Archibald “Archie” Wallace last February 5 from the Society of Humane Friends in Lawrenceville. They had received this beautiful parti poodle from a group of dogs rescued from a hoarding situation in Coweta County. (I documented this joyous … Continue reading Who wears the (under) pants in the family
Quick, how many age-related cliches can you quote? You’re only as old as you feel. Age is just a number. I’m having a senior moment. You’re not getting older, you're getting better. Or my personal favorite, the twist on this last one which was used by the “Keenagers” senior adult ministry at our church in … Continue reading Discovering a new way to measure age
New South Essays 