I am told that this page should tell you something about myself personally. It won’t be interesting to most of you, so feel free to say “Oops! I don’t care about this guy’s family and stuff!” and then back up and go to another page. The page entitled “where I’m coming from” will tell you a little more about where I’m coming from as far as philosophy, experiences and ideas. But if you really want some personal stuff about me, I guess this is the place.
My name is Jim Lee. I live in the beautiful town of Fairhope, Alabama. I have pastored churches, taught in college, owned radio stations, and done a lot of radio broadcasting. I have also hauled freight, sung in travelling quartets, delivered newspapers, and sold cars. I enjoy being my own weird self.
What I would like to do here is thank my beautiful daughter-in-law Teth Burns Lee, and my incredible son Casey, for starting the magazine “This That and the Other” three years ago, which forced me to start writing a monthly column called “I’ve Been Thinking.” I had no idea how much response this would bring, or that other magazines and websites would pick it up, and how many people would say that they had become addicted to my little writings.
For the first time in my life I have the chance to be a home-town “baba” to my family, and I love it! Indulge me on this if you want to, and if you don’t, it’s okay if you don’t read any further on this page as I drag out the “family album.”
Frankly, I HATE those annual Christmas family newsletters that make everything sound evermore so blinkin’ rosy and sweet! Nobody’s life is that perfect - at least nobody that I ever knew. But for now I’m going to do the same thing. If you want “dirt”, you will have to get it from somebody else, for two reasons. One is I have to live with these people; the other is they know me as well as I know them.
My sweet wife Linda has put up with me for 35 years, and it has never been easy for her, but somehow she is still here. Sometimes we still fuss and argue, and we usually are not on the same page, and sometimes are not even in the same book. But when I’m not with her I spend a lot of time wishing I was. I love her more than anything… always have and always will.
We have a daughter named Carrie living here in Fairhope who has blessed us with three awesome grand-daughters, including a brand-new baby girl born September 7! I am so proud of her, because she is beautiful, hilariously funny, courageous, and brilliant.
Our son Casey, also in Fairhope, is incredibly talented and industrious, and is probably the kindest, sweetest guy you could ever meet in your life. He and his wife Teth are being so blessed, and I am so happy for them and with them. They have a baby girl who lights up the whole world with her smile!
I have a stepdaughter Debbie in Columbus, Georgia. She is so charming and kind and sweet. People never forget her, and she is a great mother to three sons and wife to her husband Bill. Bill is an exceptional pastor and preacher and motivator, and his life touches thousands of people.
My stepson Jimmy is a great guy who never quits! He and his wife Kristin live in Sarasota, Florida, with their two girls and their little four year old boy who’s so cute it should be illegal. Jimmy and Kristin live life to the fullest! They work hard and play hard and are an absolute pleasure to be around if you can keep up with them!
My mother, Kate Olive Lee, lives next door to us. She is one of the best people I ever knew, and at 90 she still drives and takes care of herself. Two weeks ago she beat me in “scrabble”.
I have three really wonderful brothers, and some great sisters-in-law and neices and nephews. Some of them I would LOVE to single out, but then if they all read it others would be left out, and I gotta stop somewhere, so it may as well be here.
[Please pardon the repeated use of “great” and “wonderful” and “incredible”, but somebody borrowed my thesaurus.]