Becoming my father

As I age, I hear my father’s words come out of my mouth with greater frequency. I see how strongly I have been imprinted by my father. I have his creativity, work ethic, conviction, stubbornness, and tendency toward anger as a way of expressing concern. I deeply love and respect my father, and as my … Continue reading Becoming my father →

River rescue

From my earliest days as a rookie features writer at The Macon Telegraph in 1992, I heard reporters talk about canoeing the Ocmulgee River and writing about it for the paper. I was young and foolish enough to attempt it. In the late summer of 1993 I began the ambitious project of paddling the entire … Continue reading River rescue →

Above ground

This time of year always makes me nostalgic for the glorious summer-and-a-half my family had an above-ground swimming pool. With temperatures climbing into the 90s now, I can't help but wish for a dip in the pool like those carefree summer days in my pre-teens. This vintage ad from the 1980s gives you an idea … Continue reading Above ground →

Thank a teacher

We've reached the season of commencement ceremonies, high school graduations, end-of-year awards banquets and last-day-of-school parties. As another exhausting academic year comes to a close, remember to thank your teachers. I graduated from Troy University 30 years ago next month. Here's a heartfelt note of appreciation to my primary journalism professor: We arrived at Troy … Continue reading Thank a teacher →

Beware of the sloppy joe

All families have stories that approach legendary status. Ours is the story of my dad and the sloppy joe. It's probably the family story I tell most often because my tradition-loving middle son, Harris, insists I tell it every time we eat sloppy joes. Have plenty of napkins on hand and maybe look into some … Continue reading Beware of the sloppy joe →

My mother’s voice

I can’t remember the last time I heard my mother sing. I’m sure it was during a visit to my parents’ church before my dad retired, but that was four or five years ago now. I didn’t realize I missed hearing her sing until a clear childhood memory of Mom practicing a solo for our … Continue reading My mother’s voice →

What’s in a name, part 1

Our middle son will turn 17 on May 2, and this is the perfect time to look at how our penchant for family names resulted in him being named "Harris Goodman Wallace." See what I mean about the hair? Our second born was the only one of the three we didn’t know the gender of … Continue reading What’s in a name, part 1 →

My earliest memory

It’s difficult to separate my actual memories from my memories of old photographs. It’s why people take pictures in the first place. Many of the images of my early childhood are captured on slides rather than prints, and the slides are in carousels at my parents’ house, packed away in closets, unseen in 30 or … Continue reading My earliest memory →

Car, don’t fail me now

Car trouble is never convenient. I’ve experienced unfortunately timed car trouble twice in my life. The trauma of the episodes, though not life threatening, imprinted on me the lifelong commitment to only drive reliable transportation. When mileage or frequency of repairs begin to add up, I lose faith in my vehicle and must sell it … Continue reading Car, don’t fail me now →

The best day ever

My family moved from Bedford, Texas, to Lake Wales, Florida, in the summer of 1982. For a 12-year-old kid, that summer had been a good one. I finished sixth grade and was preparing to transition to junior high school. I had a season pass for the Six Flags Over Texas theme park. My family had … Continue reading The best day ever →