Football dreams

Every August I have the same dream/nightmare. It varies a little, but the essence remains the same each year. In the dream, I’m back in high school participating in two-a-day football practices again as a member of the Lake Wales Fighting Highlanders. Similar to the college nightmares people report having about not showing up for … Continue reading Football dreams →

Peeled or fuzzy?

There are some activities in my home that would appear odd to an outsider. Take my 2-year-old, for instance. It is not uncommon for him to walk past, pushing a chair or other piece of furniture. This indicates he is on a mission to scale some book case or reach the top shelf in order … Continue reading Peeled or fuzzy? →

Have inhaler, will travel

I recently spent a week chaperoning kids from my church at camp. While they are all great, active, healthy kids, what struck me about the experience was that 5 out of 6 had rescue inhalers or allergy medications with them, including my oldest son, Barron. For the four-hour bus ride north, they had their iPods … Continue reading Have inhaler, will travel →

Babyface

Everyone has a beard these days. OK, that’s a bit of an overstatement. Most women I know don’t have beards, but bearded ladies are another topic for another day. I know, I know, facial hair has been popular for a while now, and beards have had many meanings throughout history. Sometimes countercultural, facial hair has meant everything from … Continue reading Babyface →

Some beach, somewhere

Southerners don’t just go to the beach anymore. They go to a particular beach. These beaches aren’t just the popular ones: Panama City Beach, Daytona Beach, Myrtle Beach, Virginia Beach, Hilton Head. In the New South, it is fashionable to go to a boutique beach with its own charming small-town feel. There are still thousands of people … Continue reading Some beach, somewhere →

Are we there yet?

Summer road trips have been a part of the Southern landscape since rednecks first discovered their Riviera on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. For nearly as long, parents have been looking for ways to entertain their children in the car on the way to the beach. We’re just past Independence Day, and my … Continue reading Are we there yet? →

Patriotism … with lasers!

We moved to the Atlanta suburbs in March of 2003. When July 4th rolled around that first year, we naively thought we would just take the short, 10-minute drive to Stone Mountain to catch the fireworks. As it turned out, 20,000 other Atlantans had the same idea. The place was packed. We didn’t even get … Continue reading Patriotism … with lasers! →

Teach your children well

It’s an understatement to say my dad taught me a lot while I was growing up. He taught me right from wrong, self-discipline, the value of a dollar, how to maintain cleanliness and order, the importance of doing a job well and how to nurture a strong faith. Dad also taught me a number of … Continue reading Teach your children well →

Stop, listen, what’s that sound?

By now, many of you have already discovered the unique pleasures of the emergence of Brood XIX. For about the last month, the 13-year cicada has been coming up out of the soil to sing its song, do its thing, die off and come back in another 13 years. By around July 4, it’ll be … Continue reading Stop, listen, what’s that sound? →

Baiting your own hook

For a moment I thought he was actually going to do it. With the early summer sun beating down on us, my two older sons, ages 10 and 6, and I prepped our fishing poles on the banks of Lake Hamburg. We had completed the sweaty job of putting up our tents and setting up … Continue reading Baiting your own hook →