Poncho....

Poncho is an old friend of the family... He used to work for my father-in-law, before he passed away 4 years ago... He is the same age as my FIL would've been, 81 years old, and still working hard every day.... He came from Mexico and worked hard labor his entire life.... I never thought I'd see him again, and the other day, he just showed up... He had lost something, so he came back here to see if he might find it... Good fortune had it, he found it... He stayed here a couple of days and cleaned up my MIL's yard and helped with ours.... While he was here, it brought back memories of days gone by.... It made us think about Grandpa Fred sitting in his chair watching Poncho clean the yard... I thought, I have to photograph him one last time... so I did. When you look at his image, look at the lines on his face... every one on them tell a story, every gray hair has a reason... His eyes show a life lived appreciating the simple things.... His hat is the most intriguing thing to me... it says "America's Best", even though he would never say this and many would not agree... he definitely is what's made and what makes this country great.... It's not the sports hero, or the famous politician, or the successful business man; it's the hardworking immigrant that treats people with respect. When I think of Poncho, I think of a simple man living a grateful, appreciative, and hardworking life... It makes me appreciate my life so much more, and cherish all the memories I have of the past.... Some people see growing old as a bad thing, I see as a privilege and honor.... You only have so many days on this earth... Poncho lives them in a simple manner... not clinging to material things, or getting caught up in modern-day stresses, showing kindness and gratitude to everyone he comes into contact with.... He is an example to me at what true humility really is... I know some day, I'll see him again and we'll rejoice....