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LAS VEGAS— Road trips have existed since the wheel was invented. In the Italian villa we take our travel groups to in Tuscany (a road trip, by the way), there exists a road, just outside the villa, called Via Roma. It is the road that connects Bologna to Rome through Florence. It is the roadContinue reading “Father-Son Road Trip (before college) 2019”

Author’s Note: Portions of the following column are included in a foreword I wrote for the upcoming book, “Life Lessons for Our Grandchildren,” by Marilyn Tinnin. You’ll be able to find the book in all of usual places this fall. My paternal grandmother, Eunice Holleman St. John, was the greatest influence in, and on, myContinue reading “My Biggest Regret”

A few weeks ago, I wrote a column about how certain senses are inherently connected to my memory. The strongest of those memories are from my childhood. Certain sights, sounds and smells are so deeply rooted in my early years that— even as a 57-year old man— when I hear a song, taste a food,Continue reading “My Mississippi Childhood Summer Top 10”

“Dad, can we cook supper together tonight?” Are there any more beautiful words in the English language? Well, probably, but those were some pretty sweet words when I heard them last week. I’ll put it this way— in that moment, there were no better words I would have rather heard from my 18-year old son.Continue reading “Cooking with Dad”

Every parent has a go-to breakfast. In our house, my wife typically makes the before-school morning meal. Most days, I was already at work while the kids were preparing for school. I fill in on occasion with daddy breakfasts. Daddy breakfasts are usually reserved for special occasions or out-of-town sojourns with the guys. Typically, it’sContinue reading “Daddy Breakfasts”

My senses are strongly connected to my memory. Something as small as a single thought can trigger a vivid recollection. But nothing brings back a memory more intensely than four of our five senses— sound, smell, sight, and taste. Sorry, touch, you’re out of this conversation. When I hear an old song on the radio,Continue reading “Jolly Senses”

As I look at important calendar dates throughout the year— Christmas, Easter, my anniversary, my wife’s birthday, my kid’s birthdays, and home football games— there is one date that I take just as seriously as those, but it never falls on a set day of the week during a specific month. I can almost alwaysContinue reading “Just Peachy”

Eighteen years ago— almost to the day— my wife and I were at the hospital awaiting the birth of our second child, a son. It was one of the greatest days of my life, and at the same time, one of the scariest. He was born on Monday morning June 4th, at 8:08 am. TheyContinue reading “Graduation 2019”

“I think I hear a noisy old John Deere In a field specked with dirty cotton lint And below the field runs a little shady creek And there you’ll find the cool green leaves of mint. Mississippi, you’re on my mind Mississippi, you’re on my mind Oh, Mississippi, you’re on my mind.” – Jesse WinchesterContinue reading “Mississippi On My Mind”