As crazy about Georgetown as they are about each other.
SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT DOING THE DISHES
For anyone who knows Ron and Barbara Garland, it is no surprise that they actually met through their respective community ministrations. Forty years later, they are still in love, and they have been blessing Georgetown with their service and example since 2009.
IN THE BEGINNING
In 1982, Barbara was working for United Blood Services in Lubbock. One spring evening, she went to a bar with some friends and a nice looking man in a suit sat down with the group.
Barbara recalls, “When they introduced us, the first thing I said was, ‘I’m mad at you.'” Ron, the region’s Boy Scout leader, had turned down the Blood Bank’s request to have a blood drive with the Scouts. Ron explains, “I told her it wouldn’t work while Scouts are on summer break and I didn’t want us both to use resources for what might be a potentially low turnout.”
Explanations aside, Barbara decided to be bold and invited him to enjoy the night air on the rooftop to get to know each other (and, she winks, to keep another woman from putting the moves on him). They discovered they both lived in orphanages as children. “We lived with our parents,” Barbara says. “They worked in school campuses in different orphanages. My father was dean of boys and Ron’s was general manager.”
So, while they were pleased to find they had a great deal in common, Ron laughs, “I just like to tell people she picked me up in a bar.”
Making a good effort to impress Barbara on their first date, Ron invited her to his Leadership Lubbock banquet, during which Governor Clements presented him with a certificate. Soon after, when he went to her home for dinner, Ron washed his own dishes. Barbara says, “I knew then he was the man for me. I told him I would turn over the blood work to another person if we were to commit to a relationship. I had never made a decision like that before but we spent time together, I helped out at Scout events, and things got serious. We were married by the end of the year.”
The ceremony took place on New Year’s Eve in a driving snowstorm. Midway through the reception, the guests began leaving to avoid being stranded. Too late, the newlyweds realized they had no one left to help clean up so they wound up in the kitchen, washing the dishes together.
SHARING THE MISSIONS
Ron’s work with the Scouts afforded them many moves around the country, which both say helped them learn how to adjust to new places and people. He says, “Integrating into new communities required that we both listen and communicate well. We learned about different lifestyles and cultures everywhere we went. East Tennessee is not like Las Vegas, which is not like Texas, and so on. Watching how others worked helped drive our willingness to know how to serve and reach out in each new place.”
Barbara found herself working at their church in Kansas, which led her into the Family Hope Center. “That experience began my process of working with women who found themselves in abusive situations. It also gave me a clearer understanding of the Scouts and how they tried to develop good young men into good adult men. Those two things fit hand-in-hand with our mission of helping people even at the earliest stage of our marriage.” Ron says his sense of service above self was given to him by his grandfather and, as a member of the Rotary for more than 50 years, he continues to live that mission today.
While still newlyweds in Kansas, their dishwasher went out and rather than repairing it, they started handwashing the dishes again. Both smile, talking about standing together at the sink at the end of a long day. Ron says, “We loved catching up on our day,” Ron says, “And I waited a long time to fix the machine.”
What’s retirement?
The Garlands wasted no time getting involved in the Georgetown community when they arrived. So much so that, as a couple, they were named the Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year in 2012. She says, “Our commitment to making a difference wherever we are is a shared value, but to be recognized in that way after just three years was mind-boggling. I have always enjoyed grass roots efforts, women’s and children’s issues, and service organizations. My top three Georgetown organizations are Rotary, Seeds of Strength, and the Williamson County Children’s Advocacy Center where I served on the Board for six years, three as president . My only limitation is that I don’t want to spread myself too thin and not follow through.”
Ron agrees, “For me, since coming to Georgetown, my desire was not to become a Sun City advocate, but to be a citizen of Georgetown first and figure out how to make myself available to better both. I have enjoyed my time on several Sun City Committees with the intent to assure Sun City remains beautiful and viable as well as fiscally solid. Today I am also spending my time on the Scouts’ endowment, and having fun building and fundraising for the Smiling V Scout Ranch in Liberty Hill.”
Another secret to their happy marriage is, while working separately to support and advocate for the community, they learn from and advise each other according to their strengths. “Ron helped me understand the best way to run a board meeting,” Barbara says. “He knows how to look at financials and see the big picture. Each of us reinforces the other.”
Ron agrees and adds, “Moving to Georgetown and being so involved with Barbara has provided me with great energy and better health than just retiring and doing nothing. I truly believe serving people has enhanced my life and my wellness. I am grateful for the give and take that being productive does for my every day vitality. This is definitely where Barbara and I want to stay.”