Meet Tina and Alonzo: How Hard Work, Excellence, and Overcoming the Odds Keeps Them Moving Forward.

On a bright Saturday morning, an earthy scent hovers in the air. Tina and Alonzo are busy doing what they have done every day of the week for the last 12 years—perfectly manicuring their customers' lawns. While many their age have retired, the duo seems animated by what must be the same energy that drew them together years ago.

I joined them on the worksite as they mulched a lawn they had mowed earlier in the week. The sun shifted from bright to baking as they shoveled, wheelbarrowed, and shaped beds around bushes and trees. They are not fazed by the grueling work; quitting is not part of the plan.

Alonzo

"I'm dreading his retirement," said Cornelia Vranian, whose lawn they are tending to this morning. She described Alonzo as conscientious and easy-going. "He's just really thoughtful - they both are." 

Vranian said Tina and Alonzo are in high demand but will sometimes hint at the idea of scaling back. She responds, "Just don't cut me!" Vranian felt that the duo offered something different in a world of commercial services. She said they go to great lengths to ensure the work is done exactly how she wants it. 

"We won’t leave the home unless it looks beautiful." Alonzo said.

Alonzo's pursuit of excellence began during summer vacation in 1967. He would drive up and down the avenue with a mower, knocking on doors or waiting for a neighbor to wave him down.

We stood in a welcome spot of shade as he told me about those early customers who taught him important lessons, though he did not realize they were teaching him at the time.

"It was never good enough," he said of working on several schoolteachers' lawns. They would make him do the work over and over until they thought it was perfect. At the time, he did not appreciate their demands. "I wanted to get it done, get my money, and go have fun," He explained. 

But with time, the quality of his work became his priority. "Ever since I've been grown," He reflected, "I've been extremely thankful that they did that." 

I asked what they taught him. "Perfection, perfection, perfection," He replied, "They didn't let me get away with mediocrity."

Part-way through the mulching job, Alonzo's son, daughter-in-law, and two-year-old grandson dropped by the work site. Tina and Alonzo quickly turned the visit into any two-year-old's dream - sweeping him up on a wheelbarrow ride and enlisting his help spreading mulch. His hard work was rewarded with a 5-dollar bill. Alonzo's son, A.J., reminisced about working with his dad while he was growing up. "He didn't really care what we wanted to become." He explained. "Just whatever you become, make sure you're the best."

 Alonzo's early summers in lawn care were the seedbed of his current work ethic. His pursuit of excellence continued, but not without challenges.

 After school, Alonzo served in the Air Force and eventually returned to Lynchburg to enter the workforce. "In the 1970s, things were completely different," Alonzo said of the racial discrimination he faced during those years. "A lot of businesspeople—they wouldn't hire Black people." 

He described his experiences with racial prejudice as "the hardest part of his life." 

"You can either go down the tube, or you can stay level," He explained. Alonzo chose to stay level and overcome the difficult experiences. His focus became treating others, black or white, "based on what they have to say and how they conduct themselves."

Soon, a local businessman offered him a job. Charlie Layne, owner of Service Printing from 1955-1996, hired and trained him as an Offset Pressman. "He was one of the few people that gave me an opportunity," Alonzo recalled. "He treated me like he treated everybody in the shop."

Layne told the story of a snowstorm that brought the bus lines to a standstill. Alonzo trekked from his home to the print shop at the corner of 12th Street and Commerce Street. "[He] had the sidewalk shoveled by the time I got there at 8 o'clock." said Layne. "That's the kind of worker he was."

Before Tina entered his life, Alonzo realized that his work at the print shop could not support the future he wanted for his children. He continued working at Service Printing and started picking up lawn work again after hours.

Tina

Meanwhile, Tina felt like God was positioning her for something better. She was selling scrubs at the Kemper Street Flea Market. 

Kneeling over a bed of mulch with a glistening forehead and delighted smile, she explained that she believes in taking initiative. "We ask God for so much, but do we position ourselves to receive what we're asking Him for?" 

When Tina and Alonzo met, Tina was busy taking steps to change her circumstances and housing situation. While selling at the Flea Market, she built friendships with fellow vendors and workers. Two ladies approached her unexpectedly one day.

"Here's your first month's rent and security deposit,” they said. “Pay us back when you can." Tina was shocked. 

She hesitated at first but knew it was time to change her situation. "So, I stepped out," She said, "And I've been moving forward ever since." She credits the two ladies with "really, truly" changing her future.

Then, Alonzo stopped at her vendor storefront. He noticed her personal collection of porcelain dolls on display. They were not for sale, but he wanted to buy one anyway. 

She thought to herself, That’s odd, but chose to go ahead with the sale.” He explained that he was an avid reader, particularly of self-help books. One of them had suggested filling your life and home with the kind of energy you wished to attract. He wanted a lady in his life and was adding more feminine touches to his home.

 His explanation made more sense than Tina was expecting, and without knowing why, she told him, "I'm going to replace that doll one day."

The two decided to go on a date. Tina said it was a rainy, silly day trip to the Cheesecake Factory in Richmond. The relationship felt like it was "meant to be" and continued developing. She spent some time getting to know him by doing lawn care with him. "Next thing, we look up later and here we are!" Tina remarked. 

They have talked about scaling back after this season is over, a change that could allow them to finish work at 1pm each day when they usually break for lunch. But Tina explained that the demand is going strong. "We say we want no new customers, and just this week, we had three people approach us."

"What did you tell them?" I asked.

"We told them we'd finish them up for the season." She chuckled, adding that a few more weeks could not hurt her. 

The duo plans to keep working as long as possible. Alonzo says the key is recognizing your limitations and accepting them, but never accepting the mindset shift that comes with retirement. "We have to have something to drive us, " he explained. "So as long as you have something to drive you, good."

Tina agreed, "As long as God allows us to keep breathing and gives us another day, that's another opportunity to do something."

Shovels and wheelbarrow were loaded back into the truck, and the two headed for a well-deserved lunch. Maybe next year, this break will signal the end of their workday. Maybe not.