School’s out for the summer. Now what? One thing is for sure: sitting around doing nothing is not an option. Summer is play time. It seems that in the New South, everyone has somewhere to go … all the time. Our schedules don't allow for plain ol’ downtime. You remember that, right? Get-up-at-11-stay-in-your-pajamas-watch-TV-barely-move-off-the-sofa-all-day-kind-of-lazy? Those days … Continue reading No more pencils, no more books
What a difference a week makes. Last week I was in the Chattahoochee National Forest connecting with my middle son and enjoying the beauty of the Appalachian foothills. This week I visited Big Bend National Park in Texas, connecting with pastors and enjoying the beauty of the mountains and desert of southwest Texas. Call it a … Continue reading Fierce landscapes
This week Harris and I embarked on a 4.8 mile journey that has come to represent more than just a hike through the Chattahoochee National Forest. This rite of passage for my boys began five years ago when Barron was six. We made a similar journey from Amicalola Falls State Park to the Len Foote … Continue reading Happy trails (mostly)
When we hit the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge from Charleston into Mount Pleasant the boys stopped watching Harry Potter on our minivan’s built-in DVD player. From the span over the Cooper River we could see the U.S.S. Yorktown, parked at Patriots Point. It would be our home for a night, and it was lit impressively, … Continue reading Connecting with the past
Yesterday we took the boys to the new Legoland Florida theme park. The boys had an amazing day, judging by their smiles, laughter and my over-exuberant uploading of photos to Facebook. Carla and I couldn’t help but reflect on our two previous visits to that property, each in a very different set of circumstances. Before … Continue reading Time passes one brick at a time
I’ll be home for after Christmas. We’re at T-minus two days and counting until the big day. Soon, Carla’s parents will be arriving and we’ll being going to Christmas Eve services at church. The surprise and joy of Christmas morning will give way to the irritability and arguing of sleep-deprived children. Cognitively, I know that … Continue reading No matter how far away we roam
Growing up in Dallas-Fort Worth, I can’t remember a single spring break vacation. That’s not to say we didn’t have any. I just can’t remember them. We were content to have a week off school, sleep late, watch cartoons and play outside. Now, it’s a different story. Spring break isn’t just for college students anymore. … Continue reading Old school spring break
New South Essays 