Who am I? What is my real name? These are just two of the multiple, penetrating questions with profound implications shrouded in silence.
Is contentment possible? Does one truly forgive? Is hope the key? How important are wise choices within the darkness of poverty and dysfunction? Two professional degrees, forty-year career in education, can one truly rise above?
SIX FEET ABOVE SECRETS is a poignant sharing of how James Morris transcends the complicated and mundane intricacies of life. He’s honest and unapologetically frank. But the heavier question may be:
Did he choose appropriate paths for navigating life’s bumps, scrapes, triumphs, and successes?
James V. Morris is a retired forty-year career educator and school administrator. He completed a Bachelor’s in elementary education, taught in both public and private schools for thirteen years before earning a Master’s in Administrative Leadership. His first role as principal, then school president landed him in a private Christian school fourteen years. He returned to his roots in a large urban public elementary school with a 96% poverty rate. He officially retired at age fifty-seven and then returned to the same school district for various part-time duties. James has been happily married to his wife Pamela forty-three years, and they raised one daughter. James is a man of deeply held faith. Late in the sixth decade of life he still marvels how his life has unfolded, often stating, “How can this be?”
James Morris employs a stream-of-consciousness approach, non-linear storytelling, and a blend of humor, vulnerability, and critical self-analysis. His writing creates a compelling and relatable account of one person’s journey toward acceptance and meaning. With radical transparency and self-examination, he is unusually candid about family dysfunction, poverty, addiction, and personal shortcomings, breaking with the tendency, as most men do, to hide or sanitize details.
His search for identity and truth is a central thread in the quest to uncover the truth about his origins, including the discovery of a secret brother and the use of DNA testing to resolve questions of paternity. He details the emotional impact of family secrets, the process of confronting them, and the ongoing effects of unresolved questions about identity. He writes letters to his deceased fathers (both the man who raised him and his biological father) that are heart-rending, serving as acts of reckoning and closure.
James explores themes of dysfunction, resilience, identity, and transformation with a raw honesty, depth of self-reflection, weaving together personal, familial, and professional experiences. What stands out most is his fearless confrontation with difficult truths, his celebration of ordinary yet profound moments, and the message that transformation is possible through honesty, perseverance, and the support of others.
His dedication to his wife as the “super glue” of his life sets the tone for the importance of steadfast relationships. Throughout, the influence of supportive figures—teachers, mentors, friends, and family—emerges as crucial to his growth. Spiritual development is a recurring theme, with James reflecting on faith, doubt, and the evolution of his beliefs. He traces a journey from rigid religious structures to a more personal, open, and questioning spirituality.
The recounting of professional milestones, such as innovative educational projects and leadership challenges, illustrates his commitment to making a difference despite personal and systemic obstacles. His transformation through adversity from a childhood marked by instability and dysfunction to a successful career in education and leadership is a testament to resilience and the power of choice. It highlights how adversity, rather than breaking him, became a source of motivation and empathy, especially in his professional life as a teacher and administrator.
