Friday, December 21, 2007

Snowbird Greetings!


Holiday Greetings from the land of yankees! OK, not really, folks here in SE Ohio are not much different from my home of South Carolina, though I'd have a hard time convincing my hometown friends of that. To them, everyone North of Charlotte are "damn yankees." Just to illustrate, I was recently looking for a recycling center to get rid of all these moving boxes and the first three replies I got from the patrons of the local country stores were, "We just use a burn barrel 'round here." Ah, refreshing...feels like home already.
My last days at Army Times were both rewarding and stressful. I made a trip to Germany to tell the story of members of Charlie, 1-26 INF returning from a particularly devastating 15 months in Baghdad. I'd spent some time with the unit back in Feb. and it was good reunite with them. The unit lost more men in Iraq than any other Army unit since Vietnam, and I felt it was important to document their experience. Luckily, Army Times felt the same way and committed more resources to telling it than any other project I've worked on with them. I think Kelly Kennedy got their stories right in print and I shot video interviews and portraits that were put together in a final four part series on the web and in the paper by the combined efforts of an extremely talented staff at AT. Editing many hours of their interview footage took more of an emotional toll than I could have imagined. This Christmas, I would encourage you all to read and watch their stories here at Blood Brothers. It's important to remember what our soldiers are experiencing as we think about all of our own blessings.
Working on this project right up until the moment I took my leave from Army Times kept me from thinking about everything and everyone I was leaving behind. But, in my final days there, I experienced an outpouring of care and support that I didn't feel I deserved after just three brief years. At final happy hours and goodbye dinners, I got the chance to replay all the stories and adventures that I'd experienced with the staff. From the tsunami, to hurricanes, to the border to combat. From the mundane to the life and death experiences, I realized just what these people had meant to me, my growth and to my own story. I'll forever be appreciative to them for accepting, teaching, pushing and supporting me and most of all, truly caring for me. I both honored and humbled to count them as friends. The newspaper industry has their own equivalent of a "roast" and send off staffers with a newspaper cover in their honor. Here's mine that will always hold a place of honor above my desk.
Tami and I are now in Vincent, OH starting all over again. In the last few weeks I've been reminded of all the responsibilities of home ownership. (Tami constantly reminds me.) I've gotten my basement home office organized, taken on a myriad of handy man tasks that I just wasn't born to do, and shoveled snow for the first time! Since it's holiday time, Tami's spending most of her time at JCPenney's where she was honored with Manager of the Month in November but she still managed a moment to walk the kids in our first snow.
As always this time of year, I'm realizing just how important all my friends are and, once again, am resolving to reconnect with you all in the new year. Until then, Tami and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a new year filled with great hope and cheer.
Note: All my contact info has changed. Please update your books and drop me a line so I don't get too lonely in my little basement.
James J. Lee
45 Simmons Cove
Vincent, OH 45784
H: 740-445-5004
C: 740-517-5225
jleephoto@gmail.com