Tomorrow is March 17, a date that looms large for my family. No, we’re not Irish. Well, we're a little Irish, but not THAT Irish. You see, 39 years ago on St. Patrick’s Day, my little red-headed brother was born. He would end up being my first little brother, but none of us knew that … Continue reading My little brother the leprechaun
Tag: Southern Culture
My cheatin’ foot
When you try a different hair stylist or dental hygienist, don’t you feel a little bit like you’re cheating on the relationship? Since the mid-1990s I have been buying my running shoes at Phidippides, the first-ever specialty running store which opened in 1973 in Tallahassee, Fla., and now operates at Atlanta’s Ansley Mall. Even when … Continue reading My cheatin’ foot
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
Southern Oscars
Sunday night is Hollywood’s annual tribute to narcissism, hedonism and voyeurism known as the Academy Awards. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have only watched the Oscars a couple of times in my whole life, and I don’t think I’ve ever watched a complete broadcast. I have no plans to watch it this year. Depending … Continue reading Southern Oscars
More than a day
It wasn’t that long ago that a birthday was just that – a day. In the New South, however, we celebrate a person’s birthday for many, many days. I have a theory about why this is: It takes us longer to celebrate birthdays now because of geographic dispersion of family, over-stuffed schedules and the vicious … Continue reading More than a day
An encounter with the irascible Dr. Sams
Dr. Ferrol Sams died this week at the age of 90. If you don’t know who he is, then shame on you. He might have said something to the effect of “You ain’t got a lick-a-sense if you’ve never read my books.” The author of “Run With the Horsemen,” “The Whisper of the River” and … Continue reading An encounter with the irascible Dr. Sams
Absolute power
Every January since 2008, I have been participating in the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby, a diabolical scheme in which a young boy and his dad are supposed to transform a 1.25-by-1.75-by- 7-inch block of wood into a 5-ounce vehicle capable of speeds up to 140 miles per hour. If you are an engineer or a … Continue reading Absolute power
That other Lance
If an electric current pulses through a device in your home or pocket, you have been inundated with the confessions of disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong this week. With a given name like “Lance,” it’s impossible for me to escape the iconic figure who once stood for so much more than a sport. The similarities are myriad: … Continue reading That other Lance
Here’s to you, January birthday person
Conventional wisdom is that folks with December birthdays have it the worst. Their special day gets lost in the run up to Christmas, and those with Dec. 25-31 birthdays are completely overshadowed. I think we have a contender for most under-appreciated birthday month people: that would be the January folks. After looking at our calendar for the … Continue reading Here’s to you, January birthday person
The gift of a time machine
Programming note: For nearly two years, New South Essays has been published on Friday mornings. Because of my job change, I’m finding that Saturdays are working better. I hope you’ll stick with me as I move to Saturdays. To ensure that you never miss a weekly post, click the email subscription link on the right. … Continue reading The gift of a time machine
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