Who Inspires You?

Have you ever glanced at a total stranger and thought to yourself, I would like to be like him (or her) someday?

Me too!

I walked into a little restaurant called The Bridge Street Cafe and sat in a window booth overlooking the frozen Flatt River. It was really cold that day.

Having never been in this cute cafe before I looked around and couldn't help but take note of some awesome characteristics.  

Country music set the tone. Spunky, fun, inviting, open to conversation.

A sprinkling of customers sat at tables around the room. Each small group had a lively conversation except the older lady sitting by herself. With her short grayed hair, she sipped her coffee and watched the customers, including me. I thought she worked there.

The young twenty's waitress greeted me with a Julia Roberts smile and a food stained t-shirt.   She took my order and scribbled notes on a small page in a spiral notebook. Fresh, country strong coffee soon came in a mug. Tasted good. A sure sign the meal would be good, too.

While sipping my coffee, the waitress shouted "Have a nice day," and the front door closed. 

I looked out the window and noticed the older lady had walked out of the cafe. She wore a red winter coat and used ski poles to power walked across the icy parking lot. The poles did not serve as canes. Oh no. She clearly knew how to use the poles like a cross country skier.

At the other side of the parking lot, she stopped, flipped the hood of her coat over her head, and continued her power walk to the bridge over the river. She stopped midway across the bridge, leaned slightly forward, looked down at the river then continued her power walk.

On the other side of the bridge she kept her speed as if in training, up the city main street and disappeared in a snow cloud.

She couldn't have lived too close to the cafe. Nearest housing would have been a few more blocks. Her walk would last at least a little while longer, maybe more.

What an inspirational woman. On a day when most folk would drive down the driveway to their mailbox across the street, she power walked like a cross country skier. 

God places awesome people like this women in our path to inspire us.

What person has inspired you? Tell us what you noticed about the person and what they did that inspired you.

photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net