About my wife

by Keith Schnittker
(Butler,Pa.)

I am the lucky husband to Jennifer. I am so blessed to have a woman at home that is understanding and loving and supporting. Truthfully though,it wasn't always that way.

When i first made the decision to pursue my goal of becoming a professional driver again(I drove probably 20 years ago for a few years) it didn't go over so well. It was met with disapproval to say the least. But me being a man,and stubborn etc. i pursued it anyway.

To her credit,against her best interests she looked around,found me a good school,even found a way to finance me in that school so that there was no out of pocket expense for us. As i was going through school I was still working menial jobs full time and attending school at night, from the start,this career change took away from a relationship that up to that time was fantastic and fulfilling for both of us.

As school neared completion the time came to make my decision as to who i was going to drive for, I chose Werner,i know,i know I'm not proud of it either lol.

Anyway,that decision made,there were plenty of evenings filled with arguments and crying,because she didn't understand how i could make this selfish choice,all though i didn't see it that way then,it truly was selfish.

Anyway,i went to orientation and then on the rode with trainer. I enjoyed the long hours,my trainer was long haul 48 states. Fortunately, my trainer was understanding and got a load that took me by my house for a night at home shortly before christmas.

It was at that time that i realized how much i missed my best friend in the world,but i thought i was already too committed to change at that point. But,to make a long story short 2 days later i was back home and out of a job. I then took the holidays off before looking for another one.

In my search i found a ompany,local,regional,that got me home more frequently,every weekend guaranteed. Though that company turned out to be less than perfect it did give me insight into the job i loved and wanted to stay in,that being flatbed.

Even through the first 5 months my wife and i still engaged in ummmmmm,long conversations and ummmmm disagreements lol. But,as i drove for that company it gave me the chance to run into and talk to drivers for the company i not drive for.

In June,i took 2 weeks off,to go see my son in Kansas and to be home for my wife's surgery. It was at this time that i had time to think about what i was doing to make the situation with my driving and home life worse than it had to be.

I realized this, that I had my dream job,but i was letting my marriage and best friend suffer because of the time away from home and my attitude when i WAS there. It donned on me that if i wanted to have my cake and eat it too,that i was going to have to make special effort to return to the way i used to be when i was home,that being, attentive, loving, doting, caring, spoiling etc. and ya know what,along the way,somewhere after that epiphany, I fell in love with my wife all over again.

I realized that what i had at home was something that just doesn't exist in this big bad world of truck driving. A wife that is supportive of my career choice,proactive in that career, and supportive. Let me summarize by saying this.

If you are a driver in any capacity,always remember this,even though you are doing what you want to,it is not necessarily the choice of your significant other. If it is great, but if not, its going to take a lot of hard work to make the career and marriage work,and a good part of it has to come from you,the driver.

You have to take extra special care of the home life just like you do your truck. When home,spend as much time as you possibly can with your wife or significant other.

Spoil, love, dote, snuggle but most of all time spent together has to be quality time,one on one,together,no side interruptions,i know i know ya only get a few opportunities to jump to that Nascar page to check on this weeks race and your racer but come on now,which is truly more important,for me,its my best friend,my love, my life, my wife Jen. She is all important to me as is her feelings and her happiness, and i make it my number one priority to give her everything she needs and meet all her needs when i am at home,even when im not. phone conversations etc. after all, its because of her and her efforts,even against her wishes,that i am where i am today.

The long and the short of it is this, I love my wife and without her i am alone, lonely, and with out my soul mate,so that means that she deserves more attention that that other woman in my life lol the truck. I do my best at my job as a driver and i thoroughly enjoy what i do,but i enjoy my home life and my marriage even more than that,but without hard work and commitment from me,the driver,it wouldn't exist today.

Keep on driving safe,but also,keep on taking care of what ya got at home.