Sean Dietrich Articles

Sean of the South | Where you come from

OPINION —   There was an old man sitting outside the dusty bar. He sat in a plastic lawn chair. There was a dog with him. The dog was either asleep or dead. He was whittling a stick for no reason — the old man, not the dog. This is what old men did before TikTok....

Sean Dietrich | The checkout lane

OPINION — 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...

Sean of the South | Therefore, consider the turtle

OPINION — Jim was stuck. In the middle of the rural two-lane highway. Right there on the pavement. Not far from the solid yellow line. Tucked tightly in his shell. Scared to death.Vehicles sped past little Jim, on both sides, shooting by with the deafening roars of...

Sean of the South | Where you come from

OPINION — There was an old man sitting outside the dusty bar. He sat in a plastic lawn chair. There was a dog with him. The dog was either asleep or dead.He was whittling a stick for no reason — the old man, not the dog. This is what old men did before TikTok.A truck...
Sean of the South | Memorial Day

Sean of the South | Memorial Day

OPINION —The 94-year-old woman gets a jumpstart on Decoration Day every year. The cemetery gets busy at her little church in Elmore County. She...

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Sean of the South | Memorial Day

Sean of the South | What is God?

OPINION — What is God? This single question underpins all things on the Camino de Santiago, a trail inhabited by us full-time pilgrims whose lives...

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Sean of the South | Memorial Day

Sean of the South | Who is God?

OPINION — The question was simple. “Who is God?” CHRIS (5): He’s a big, big thing, but you can’t see him. He has big hands and he can pick you up...

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Sean of the South | Memorial Day

Sean of the South | Easter

OPINION — A few years ago I attended my first Catholic mass in a busy church outside Birmingham. It was Easter Sunday. I sat in the nosebleed...

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