Jeff Roberts:
CLASS OF 1982
Heritage Christian SchoolClass of 1982
Charlottesville, VA
Virginia Wesleyan CollegeClass of 1986
Norfolk, VA
Rock Hill AcademyClass of 1982
Charlottesville, VA
Robert E. Lee Elementary SchoolClass of 1976
Charlottesville, VA
Jeff's Story
Hmmm. My story, huh? Let's see... Intelligence operative, rock star, Super Bowl MVP, perfected the cold fusion process. Nope. Not even close.
After high school, I went on to Virginia Wesleyan College for a couple of years, fully expecting to get a bachelor's and then go to law school. After that I figured I'd run for Commonwealth's Attorney or go to work in the U.S. Attorney's office. Then, of course, would come full-blown politics. So much for all that, too.
After my less than stellar college experience, I went into sales, sales training, and managing a sales office. You know, it certainly is hard to make a business work well when the boss (not me) is embezzling. Thank goodness, I took my name off the company accounts before it got too bad. After that, I did a total 180 and went to work with Rich Ballou for Greenbrier Farms doing commercial landscaping.
It was during this time that I met my wife to be. Thank God! I had really let myself hit the skids. I had taken to drinking way too much, way too often. One evening, as I sat on the stoop of my apartment building, I felt as if I had finally hit bottom. I was about to abandon nearly everything and take off. I wasn't sure where I would go, but I figured Charlottesville would be as good a first destination as any. It was then that my downstairs neighbors came out to chat. By then, I figured it was too late to strike out, so I'd get a fresh start in the morning. (Here comes then Divine Intervention.) Yvonne called to me from down the street, asking if wanted to go to a party. Being me, of course I said yes.
One can sometimes look back and see defining moments in one's life. That evening was one such moment. Three days later, I asked her to marry me. Much to my surprise and delight, she said yes. Shortly afterward, she asked me to cut back some on my drinking. So I quit. Cold Turkey. I guess I just needed a push in the right direction.
Then I decided that maybe the military would be right for me. After scoring in the 98th percentile on my ASVA...Expand for more
B's, and breezing through the physical, a couple of outstanding traffic tickets delayed the processing. While I tried to get that squared away, Yvonne talked me out of going. So I took a job at Mr. Moe's Sub shop. I fully expected that to last about six weeks while I found a "real job." Eight and a half years later, I was still there, working about 70 hours a week. Yvonne and I married on April 26, 1986. So hereafter, she'll be referred to as Wifey. On March 1, 1989, we were blessed with our daughter, Regina.
In May of 1994, we moved to Ansted, West Virginia. Shortly thereafter, I took a job with Schneider National Carriers as a driver. As a driver, I finally got to see this great nation, literally from sea to shining sea. Oh, yeah, Canada, too, eh. I also saw both great and terrible things. I saw the sunrise in the high desert of California, the dark and mysterious bayous of Louisiana, and many other wondrous sights. I was an eyewitness to tragedy, as well. On September 11, 2001, I was bound for Queens, NYC. As I sat in traffic at the George Washington Bridge, I saw a huge fireball erupting from the World Trade Center. I sat there as the world, as I knew it, changed. And yep, I'm still pissed!
In 2005, Wifey's grandmother died. I was serving as a pall bearer for her at the family cemetery up on the mountain near her home. Several days of rain had made the steep ground slick and treacherous. As we climbed the hill to the grave site, I lost my footing and fell. I felt something give in my back, but having had back pain for some time, I pretty much ignored it. Soon after, though, I was in enough pain to force me to see the doctor. I took a few weeks off for therapy and such then I was ready to hit the road again...or so I thought. I picked up a load in western Pennsylvania and got as far as our Operating Center west of Akron, Ohio. When I awoke the next morning, I was barely able to walk. So off I go to the emergency room. Little did I know that my driving career had just ended.
to be continued....
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