Genuine surprise strikes rarely. When the circumstance is good, we treasure the experience. When it is tragic, we spend a lifetime ridding ourselves of the impression it made on our psyche. I have been blessed to have more of the good and fewer of the traumatic. Here are some of the memorable and significant surprises … Continue reading My greatest surprises
Tag: Southern Culture
ChatGPT South Essays
Unless you have withdrawn completely from society in the last few months, it has been impossible to avoid hearing about ChatGPT and artificial intelligence. In my day job I work in higher education, and there has been much hand wringing about what it will mean to education if students can go online and asked a … Continue reading ChatGPT South Essays
The talent I wish I had
Musical talent runs in my family. Mom plays piano and sings. Dad played trumpet and sang in the church choir. Both of my brothers play guitar, and Lee plays piano, saxophones of various shapes and sizes, leads choral singing and sings. My oldest son plays trumpet, drums, guitar and conducts marching bands. My middle son … Continue reading The talent I wish I had
Perfect happiness
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
Choices in childrearing
This week's "Rethinking" podcast from organizational psychologist Adam Grant prompted us to rethink the choices we've made parenting our three boys. Adam interviewed Dr. Becky Kennedy, who is rapidly becoming the Millennial Generation's answer to Dr. Spock, the noted pediatrician not the Vulcan science officer on "Star Trek." She challenged the notion that parents' job … Continue reading Choices in childrearing
Sorry-Not sorry
We live in a sorry culture. I recently "had an opportunity to apologize," and I've been reflecting on apologies. It's not a mind-blowing revelation to suggest we apologize too much, and in the case of the notoriously polite Brits or Canadians, it's even a stereotype. But based on recent personal events, I've come to the … Continue reading Sorry-Not sorry
What’s in a name, part 3
(This is the final installment of a three-part series on why we gave each of our boys their name. Barron's birthday is Feb. 6, so today's post is timed to coincide with that wonderful, life-changing event. Happy 22nd, Barron!) What’s in a name? For us, it’s family. Our three boys are roughly four years apart … Continue reading What’s in a name, part 3
How we decided to have kids (and how many)
It’s hard to remember what life was like before children. Raising our three boys has taken so much attention and energy that it sometimes feels like Carla and I did not exist as a couple before they came along. The truth is, we dated for eight months before getting engaged, married four months later, and … Continue reading How we decided to have kids (and how many)
What I learned from my parents
Dad was a preacher and Mom was a teacher, so many of life’s lessons were given to my brothers and me explicitly and directly. They were not shy about telling us exactly what to do, both in the moment with an assigned task and in the future with big life decisions. I still remember the … Continue reading What I learned from my parents
Appreciating my brothers, part 2
In honor of my youngest brother's birthday yesterday, here is the second part of an appreciation of my brothers. If you missed part one back in March, you can catch up on my thoughts about my middle brother, Lee, here. Lyle Elrod Wallace joined our family January 13, 1981, disrupting the roles and responsibilities each … Continue reading Appreciating my brothers, part 2
New South Essays 