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Sean Dietrich Articles

Sean of the South

Relax, you're going to be okay You’re going to be okay. That’s not an opinion. It’s not a guess. This isn’t some trite little catchphrase from some crappy motivational book that reads like it was written by a greasy televangelist.You’re going to be okay. It’s the...
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The 11-year-old in the house

BY SEAN DIETRICH There is a little girl in my house. She is 11. She is currently playing piano in my office. She is blind, so she plays by feel. She has no idea what she’s doing on the instrument. But she actually sounds pretty good.I do not have kids. I’m not a smart...
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From the files of ‘Dear Sean’

BY SEAN DIETRICH DEAR SEAN:I’m not sure what to do. My teenage son died in an accident three years ago. … A few months ago one of his good friends started hanging out at our house…We’ve become really close. He doesn’t have a very present mother. And I find myself...
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Sean of the South – The Checkout Lane

He was loading my grocery bags. I’ll call him Michael. He was early twenties, wearing an apron. He has Down syndrome.“How are you today?” he said.“Pretty good,” said I.“So am I!” he said. “I’m doing pretty good, too!”I smiled. “How about that.”The cashier was...
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Alabama

Alabama

Oct 19, 2022

By SEAN DIETRICH Sunrise in middle Tennessee. It was four in the morning. I left my hotel early to get on the road. I had a long way to go. There...

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Alabama

Morning

Oct 12, 2022

By SEAN DIETRICH Morning. The lobby of my hotel is crowded. It’s breakfast time. This is the moment of day when guests emerge from rooms with...

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Alabama

The Helpers

Oct 5, 2022

The hotel parking lot. Early afternoon. He was packing his truck. Slamming toolbox lids. Reorganizing luggage in the rear cab. Iowa plates. I’ve...

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Alabama

Friend

Sep 28, 2022

By SEAN DIETRICH I met an old friend for lunch today at a neighborhood deli. The portions were generous. The food was good. Our sandwich and burger...

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Alabama

Oscar

Sep 21, 2022

By SEAN DIETRICH Mobile, Alabama. Morning time. I was meeting someone important. I pulled into the parking lot of Toomey’s Beads & Bulk Mardi...

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Alabama

People Watcher

Sep 14, 2022

By SEAN DIETRICH The hotel lobby is about the size of an aircraft hangar. It’s like a city unto itself. They do things big in Atlanta. There are...

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Alabama

Five Bucks

Sep 7, 2022

By SEAN DIETRICH This is not my story. I am hearing it for the first time, just like you. He is the one who tells it. He is old. He is in a...

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My Generation

My Generation

Aug 31, 2022

BY SEAN DIETRICH They called us the TV generation. Because that was pretty much all we had. No smartphones. No computers. No internets. We had a...

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My Generation

I Hope

Aug 24, 2022

By SEAN DIETRICH I hope you have a good day. The entire day. Start to finish. Not the Best Day Ever. No, that’s too much excitement crammed into 24...

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