Sean Dietrich Articles

Sean of the South | How Amazon stole Christmas

OPINION —The story was told to me by a former deliveryman named John.The Christmas season was the busiest time of year for delivery-persons. Drivers saw a major uptick in workload. This did nothing to improve John’s sunny disposition.At Christmastime, John was about...

Sean of the South | Christmas signs

OPINION —Tony James stood holding a cardboard sign on the street corner, caught in the cold drizzle.Damp clothes. Sun-beaten skin. Moving around to keep from shivering.Nobody really paid attention to Tony. Motorists sped around him. Most refusing to roll down windows....

Sean of the South | A Thanksgiving to remember

OPINION —  Wake up early. Still dark outside. It is 30-odd degrees on Lake Martin and I can’t feel my unmentionables. The 1940s cabin is poorly insulated. You could store Ben & Jerry’s products in the living room. I make coffee. Sit on the couch, wedging...

Sean of the South | Happy Thanksgiving

OPINION —It’s a few minutes until Thanksgiving. I thought I’d stay up and watch the clock change. I’m sipping tea, listening to gentle music playing in the background.I think it’s Bing Crosby, or maybe Nat King Cole. The volume is too low to tell. Either way, it...
Sean of the South | Jan. 2, 2025

Sean of the South | Jan. 2, 2025

A boyhood Christmas break OPINION — Christmas break. There were little-kid toys scattered around the house, fallen in the line of duty.A friendship...

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Sean of the South | Dec. 24, 2024

Sean of the South | Dec. 24, 2024

Happy New Year OPINION — New Years - Jan. 2016 Millions of years ago, New Year’s Eve was a rather disappointing thing. Way back then, our filthy...

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Sean of the South | Jan. 2, 2025

Sean of the South | Dec. 19, 2024

Questions OPINION — I receive a lot of questions. They come in the form of emails, private messages, subpoenas, etc. I cannot answer them all, but I...

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Sean of the South | Jan. 2, 2025

Sean of the South | Dec. 12, 2024

Santa OPINION — I almost didn’t write this because I swore I’d never tell anyone what I’m about to tell you. But I have to.A few weeks ago I...

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Sean of the South | Jan. 2, 2025

Sean of the South | Dec. 5, 2024

This I know OPINION —This story was told to me by a friend. A retired nurse.The nurse was passing by room 202 in the pediatric oncology wing. It was...

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Sean of the South | Jan. 2, 2025

Sean of the South | Nov. 21, 2024

First Dates OPINION — One of the first official dates with my wife took place at her parents’ house. That night, her extremely nosy parents promised...

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Sean of the South | Jan. 2, 2025

Sean of the South | Nov. 14, 2024

American Way OPINION — I was a kid. My father and I walked into the filling station. The bell above the door dinged.Daddy was filthy from working...

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Sean of the South | Jan. 2, 2025

Sean of the South | Nov. 7, 2024

Veterans Day OPINION — Boaz is a town about as big as your average water heater closet. It was a quiet night. The sun had set. Houses were lit from...

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Sean of the South | Jan. 2, 2025

Sean of the South | Oct. 24, 2024

Okay OPINION — Today I read an article my friend sent to me. The article was something that went viral on social media. When I finished reading it,...

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