Even though he asked, because she was his supervisor at Sears, it wasn’t until Wayland quit six months later that Cree agreed to go on a date. Wayland and Cree Cubit married a year after the date-that-finallyhappened; they started their family with three children from previous relationships plus two nephews who lived with them.
Wayland went through the police academy and within a handful of years began working undercover for the Street Crimes Unit. “It’s not like they portray it on television,” explains Wayland. “I went home every day and did the undercover stuff case-by-case…don’t get me wrong – there were some intense moments but I had great partners.” Wayland went on to start the Gang Prevention Program through the Oklahoma City Police Department which has since expanded to multiple sites around the metro area. The Cubit family continued to grow as the couple fostered several children through the years, but that didn’t stop them from finding a special hobby.
As the years went by, dancing became a passion for them. “Several years ago we were in Shreveport, and we saw an older couple swing dancing,” remembers Cree. “And the way they danced together…so subtle…he would simply tap her on the back and she knew exactly what move to do. I decided we needed to learn to do that… it was the connection I wanted with Wayland.”
Wayland describes dancing as a different way of communicating with each other. “There’s a swag you’ve got to have in marriage. We know that good times are just like bad times; neither of them last forever, you just have to ride them out. That’s one of the metaphors for dance – we stay connected no matter what. If we mess up, it doesn’t matter – we stay connected.”
And as he makes the next statement, he and Cree laugh, “Cree is the best ever at the silent treatment. I repeat – the best ever. But I can still communicate with her through dance. I don’t need her voice.”
“I do tend to not say anything when I’m mad,” Cree says with smile on her face. “But it’s true that you still feel the connection when you dance. There are times when you might not get it right but you keep going. You’ll get it right eventually. Wayland said it, ‘Quitting is not an option in our family.’”
The Cubits believe in the power of communication whether talking or dancing. Wayland actually narrows it down even more, “You have to communicate and be honest and I mean you have to be ‘you can’t handle the truth kind of honest.’ Because if you can’t have honest communication with each other there’s a good chance that person won’t accept you for who you are down the road.”