This weekend we are celebrating my Darling Beloved’s birthday, a few days removed from the actual anniversary of her birth. It will include time with her mama, her children and their significant others, a celebratory dinner out, and the always fun Cirque du Soleil. And I’m here to say that she is worth all of … Continue reading What I needed to hear
My Darling Beloved forbids me from ascending a ladder. Stepstools are borderline. Climbing on anything not built with the intention of helping you reach high places is an absolute no-no. She would much rather pay someone to go on the roof and clean the gutters than have me attempt such a life-threatening maneuver. I have … Continue reading Free falling
You can tell a lot about people by what you find lying around in their home. As was well documented in last week’s installment on lighting, (if you did not read that hilarious post, do yourself a favor and go back and do so now before proceeding. It’s OK, we’ll wait…) the gradual influx of … Continue reading Books, lip balm, reading glasses and toothpicks
As the New South’s most beloved humorist, I am highly sought after as a member of group chats. My contributions are hilarious and always result in a “HaHa” symbol from the other members of the group. That’s how I know I am hilarious. Why else would someone respond with the “HaHa” symbol? Ok, so maybe … Continue reading Group texts are the new social media
As I like to say, anything worth saying once is worth saying twice. Anything worth saying once is worth saying twice. (See what I did there?) Carla and I have entered that beautiful phase of our relationship where more than 50 percent of all of our communication – and we all know communication is the … Continue reading Say that again?
My day job has been a relentless torrent of small talk the last few weeks. And it’s glorious. For an extrovert like me, good small talk is a renewable and infinite energy source. I readily admit I have the gift of gab, and I feed off of the social interchange. What I find so appealing … Continue reading Small talk
Carla and I have recently unlocked the key to marital communication – The Instagram Reel. With apologies to Gary Chapman, author of “The Five Love Languages,” we have discovered that sending each other Instagram Reels has become our love language. Maybe it’s the sixth one. It’s an exaggeration to say it has saved our marriage, … Continue reading Keepin’ it Reel
Unusually warm February weather teased me with a taste of spring this week. The sun peaked out from behind the clouds, and I left my office and took a lap of the campus, basking in the warmth, smiling at the students and getting my blood flowing. It was bliss. Perfect happiness doesn’t exist, but my … Continue reading Perfect happiness
For me the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a re-evaluation of life’s big questions. One of my discoveries is how the simple pleasures contribute to my quality of life. Here are the little things that have come to mean a lot to me: Laughter around the table is a simple pleasure that happens frequently when we play … Continue reading Simple pleasures
(In honor of Carla's birthday on Nov. 13, here's a reflection on our introduction and courtship.) My deepest and most profound season of happiness came in January of 1996. One Sunday night after church, I was introduced to a young woman who worked with the children in the nursery. The Sunday night crowd was always … Continue reading So glad she was born
New South Essays 