Hello, my name is Lance, and I have listening problem. This week I attended one of those four-hour workplace training sessions on emotional intelligence. It included an exercise on active listening. I was horrible. The humiliating experience caused me to reexamine a fundamental assumption about myself. Deep down, I believe that I have pretty good … Continue reading The lost art of listening
Tag: parenting
‘Yes’ and ‘No’
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’
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
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
Summertime blues
My innocent Facebook post on Tuesday sparked enough comments to let me know I struck a nerve. Here’s what I posted the morning after Memorial Day: “Remembering that as I return to work today, Carla is at work 24/7. Summer vacation for children means summer overtime for parents who stay at home full- or part-time.” … Continue reading Summertime blues
Bracing
You cannot bear your children’s burdens for them. On Wednesday, our 12-year-old son, Barron, began a two-year journey with orthodontia. My wife and I can commiserate, but we cannot take away the discomfort and self-consciousness. As one of my former editors used to say, it’s his bear to cross. By the grace of God and … Continue reading Bracing
The Yahoo Policy
Once upon a time there was a place people went in order to complete tasks and earn a paycheck. This place was called an office. About the time commutes, family needs and office culture conspired to nearly eliminate productivity 10 or more years ago, companies began letting their employees telecommute or work from home. The … Continue reading The Yahoo Policy
New South Essays 