Truly interesting people are few and far between, but usually area a bit older and have lived a lifetime of experiences.
Inez, my brother’s grandma (I guess mine too, but that’s another story…), is by far one of the most interesting characters I’ve ever met in my life. Coincidentally, she is a vibrant, young-at-heart and life-fulfilled person who loves three things:
1. Flowers
2. Telling stories
3. Cooking
My new nickname for her is “The Gardenista.” I think it fits very well. Since Daniel and I arrived a few days ago, I think I’ve been given five or six tours of her garden. Each time, she is so excited to point out a flower or a color that she has or hasn’t pointed out to us before.
GARDEN TOUR TIME
Her favorite flowers seem to be the yellow ones. Of course, these are the very ones she takes to her late husband’s resting place daily.
Every time she starts telling one of her stories about her neighbors that she’s lived next to for some 40 years, I get lost. Each story is as exciting as the next. Of course, some of them do not make sense or she repeats herself a lot, but that is the beauty of Inez. Every opportunity she has to tell a story, point out a flower or cook Arroz con Pollo (rice with chicken), she puts all of her energy into it.
I guess we could all take away a lesson or two from the way she lives her life. In fact, I’ve written a few below that I’ve learned since meeting her a few days ago.
Lessons from Inez
1. Find a passion and be the best at it. For the Gardenista, her flowers are her passion. If you were to walk down her block, you would notice that her garden is the most beautiful on the block. “Que bonita and que preciosa” are the two expressions that are constantly coming out of her mouth.
2. Get lost in the moment. Inez loves to stop what she’s doing and tell a story about the old neighborhood. It usually lasts about 15 to 20 minutes for a story that would usually take about two minutes, but she is all about the details. She’ll tell you what day it was, what the weather was like and then give you a description of all the people involved.
3. And finally, stay young. Inez has the vibrancy of a little kid. She takes every moment for what it is and lives in it. She works out at the local gym, gardens all day, cleans her house, walks around the block and will visit with anyone that stops by… whether they like it or not! 
Come to think of it, I believe we all have an opportunity to find our passion and get lost in the moment while staying young at heart. It’s whether or not we can take a moment for ourselves to really think about what it is that we want, how we’ll do it and who we want to share it with.
For me, I couldn’t think of a better person to spend a few weeks riding a Harley with than Dan Dan the Harley man himself.
What’s your passion? Have you stopped to take a moment for yourself lately? If not, take out a piece of paper and write down a few things you want to do… and DO THEM!
Greg Dawson