Her favorite movies were “Gone with the Wind” and “Back Street,” and Mila V. Garen loved the drama and sophistication that came with it.
Now, 76 years old, being born on December 3, 1932 in the Philippines, Garen has been a widow for three years now by her late husband, WWII veteran Vicente Garen.
Garen was as pretentious as any other teenage girl back in her day.
There was always the talk of boys and dancing at parties, and at the age of 14, she started high school as a sophomore. It wasn’t until the age of 17, though, when she had her first boyfriend.
“Now he was very good looking,” Garen laughs.
“I remember it so clearly. I lived at Manila, and he was my first kiss. It was so funny to me right now, but back then, I thought I was going to be pregnant,” she laughed out loud.
“The whole day I cried. My mom came up to me and asked why I was crying, and I told her that I was pregnant.”
Garen looked shocked and smiled, reminiscing her teenage past.
“My mom just looked all shocked and said ‘What!’ I told her what happened, and she smiled at me and said to not worry,” Garen said.
“She said to me that it was just natural. Then she looked at me in the eyes and asked if I enjoyed it,” she laughs once more.
“I said, of course,” she said.
“I loved my parents, they were the best. They were very open with the decisions I made. Especially when a boy took me out to dinner, just as long as he brings me back home on time, then everything is fine,” she added.
As the dating scene continued to roll around the corner, the young girl was very much into fashion. “Back in the Philippines, I was always chosen as a muse for artists, different public occasions, and stuff like that. I was the Queen of Tayabas Tundor once. And, when I was traveling to the states back then, this ship asked me to be their model. It was great. I always wore something within the fashion of that time,” said Garen.
“I never repeated what I wore. I had the latest gowns and basically got what ever I wanted. I was the oldest and my dad had his own business and he was an acrobat and an actor,” she said.
Back then, one of the popular events was a gathering called barn dancing. It was performed while sitting on hay.
“It was so much fun. We would all start at 8 or 9 in the evening and would sometimes last till later in the morning. But of course, we went dancing every Friday,” smiled Garen.
“I mean, the kids nowadays have these things like I-Pods, and really small cell phones. All we had was a radio, which many neighbors would come to hear it. Although, TV and other stuff came after that,” she said.
Garen pointed out that her parents were open-minded. They permitted her to go out because of that trust. “My other friends and relatives couldn’t go out. Their parents were old fashioned. The thought was more of like, get married young and start a family. Everyone did that, but I didn’t,” said Garen.
Garen had the chance to go to the United States to attend her senior year of high school at Garfield High School at Seattle Washington with a student visa in 1953.
She talked about her trip there with a luxury liner sailing pass Hong Kong, Japan, Hawaii, and then finally San Francisco.
At Garfield High School finally, Garen said her studies were easy compared to the schools in the Philippines.
“I was at the honor roll, and basically, it was like, when there is a test, in the Philippines, you would have to study it that night. At the states, we had a whole week to study such assignments. It was great,” she said.
After high school, Garen attended Seattle University in Washington with a scholarship majoring as a medical technician.
“My dream was to be a doctor. I wanted to cure my family sicknesses, and most of them had heart problems. And then, something unfortunate happened. I got sick with heart problems and I would faint in class sometimes. It was bad, because my parents wanted me to follow my dreams, but things were in my way,” she said.
Her second dream was to enlist in the U.S. Navy.
“I always told my son before to join the Navy. I think that once you serve under Uncle Sam, you’ll never regret it,” she said.
“I don’t know, it’s like, when ever I hear the star spangled banner, I cry. It touches my heart because of remembering WWII,” she added, quietly.
Garen advises teenagers to be careful on their decisions, on what they do and how they accept things.
“For me, time is wonderful. My teenage years to today have been beautiful and wonderful. It’s time to enjoy while you live,” said Garen. “Kids now can depend on freedom. The kids have the freedom to speak and I do think they are smarter than before back in my time,” she said.
“I want them to love and obey their father in heaven and respect, love, and be obedient to their parents. No parents would want their child to have a small world, all they want is to have them to be smart and succeed,” she added.
Garin, now a U.S. citizen, emphasized how kids should love their country, and if it calls for, to serve and protect their country.
“Happiness is important. Before I joined the Man’amko Center, I was lonely and sad. Until now, it has been great. It truly did change my life. I look forward coming here everyday,” said Garen.
“I learned many things, like using the computer, among other things. This center is great. And my theory is, as long as I can walk and get to do what ever I want, traveling is the best I can do. I love to travel!” she says with a smile.
