Perhaps someday to be incorporated into a personal memior, for now just ramblings about my life growing up and living in Roanoke, VA. 

All during high school at Cave Spring I did just about everything I could that was opposite of someone who had intentions of going to college. I had never taken SATs, or even PSATs. I didn’t make particularly good grades and ended up on the lower half of the class rank with around a solid C average. And most notably, I never applied to any schools. I did just enough to get by, without much care in looking ahead to the future.

In the back of my mind I had always intended to go to college. My dad had gone to Virginia Tech so it was understood I would probably end up there. But, as I found out quickly, college applications don’t fill themselves out and there was already a fair amount of competition for those with B and higher averages. The combination of my C’s and not taking the SATs just left me out cold even as a longshot.

My parents divorced around this time and I continued to live with mom in the house where I grew up, over in Southwest Roanoke County. I became a workaholic that summer. The work and the idea of being productive became my escape from some of the troubles and frustrations I was facing. Somehow I found solace in keeping busy. To this day that is still true about me.

I continued to work at Taco Bell after high school and when I turned 18 that summer I was promoted to shift manager. Which after a few short weeks I determined was only just slightly more glamorous of a position than a regular taco maker. I worked a combination of hours at the restaurant on Route 220/Franklin Road (near Walmart) and the restaurant that used to be at the upper floor food court in Tanglewood Mall for those of you that remember.

I was predominently a “closer” which simply meant I came in sometime in the late afternoon or early evening and worked until the restaurant closed. Then, I would have to count the money from the cash register drawers and see that all of the food was put away and areas clean.

This was back when that Walmart nearby on Route 220 was open 24 hours. After closing at the “Bell” it was pretty common for myself and another worker or two to go over there and do a little shopping, and a lot of hanging out into the early hours of the morning sometimes.

On balance, I didn’t dislike the job other than when looking back now I was practically working for peanuts! But, whenever I look back at the situation and those parts of my life it all seems relative. I thought I was doing well.

And, for all intensive purposes I was doing OK. Making money and living in a place where the bills that arrive aren’t addressed to you provides an amazing sense of naive freedom. It wasn’t until years later that I thanked mom for allowing me to stay there for those months after high school. At the time I felt like it was all owed to me. But, I was 18, a legal adult, and it sure as heck wasn’t. I still had some growing up to do.

Another several months would pass until I really got my act together and started down a path that would eventually lead to degrees from Virginia Western and Radford University.

But, those are stories for other posts. Thanks for reading.