AND TOTALLY IN LOVE AND COULDN'T TELL ANYONE?

MY FATHER WAS EVERYTHING TO ME.

I LIVE MY LIFE TRYING TO BE HALF THE MAN MY FATHER WAS.

DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS, GRANDPA?

NOPE, LIVED A WONDERFUL LIFE.

I WANT YOU TO DO THE SAME THING, LIVE WITH COURAGE.

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]

BENJI: I JUST START BY ASKING YOU

ONE OF THE QUESTIONS ON MY LIST, RIGHT?

ANYTHING YOU WANT.

OKAY.

SO WHAT WERE YOU LIKE AS A KID?

I WAS PRETTY WEIRD.

I DIDN'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING BUT WATCH TV

AND I SPENT A LOT OF TIME BY MYSELF.

BUT I ALWAYS LIKED TALKING TO OLDER PEOPLE,

LIKE THE WAITRESS AT THE LUNCHEONETTE AT NEAR MY HOUSE

OR MY GRANDPARENTS.

I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS JUST A FEW YEARS OLDER THAN YOU,

YOUR GREAT-GRANDPA ABE AND YOUR GREAT-GRANDMA ROSE

AND HER SISTERS CAME OVER TO OUR APARTMENT FOR THANKSGIVING.

AFTER DINNER, I FOUND THIS TAPE RECORDER LYING AROUND

AND SOMEHOW I GOT THE IDEA TO INTERVIEW THEM.

I DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE WHAT I WAS DOING,

BUT I RECORDED THEIR VOICES AND STORIES

AND I SAW HOW MUCH THEY LOVED BEING LISTENED TO.

A FEW YEARS LATER, YOUR GREAT-GRANDPA

AND YOUR GREAT-GRANDMA AND ALL HER SISTERS PASSED AWAY,

BUT I REMEMBERED I'D MADE THAT TAPE.

SO I WENT LOOKING FOR IT, BUT I COULDN'T FIND IT.

EVEN NOW WHEN I GO TO YOUR GRANDMA'S HOUSE,

I GO LOOKING FOR THAT TAPE, JUST HOPING IT'S GONNA TURN UP.

BENJI: I DON'T GET IT. WHY DO YOU KEEP LOOKING FOR IT?

BECAUSE IT WOULD MAKE ME SO HAPPY

TO HEAR THOSE VOICES AGAIN,

AND I'D LOVE TO PLAY THAT TAPE FOR YOU.

YOU KNOW, DOING THAT RECORDING REALLY TAUGHT ME SOMETHING.

YOU CAN FIND THE MOST AMAZING STORIES FROM REGULAR PEOPLE.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ASK THEM ABOUT THEIR LIVES AND LISTEN.

BENJI: REALLY? THAT'S IT?

DAVE: YEAH, IT'S SIMPLE.

WE CAN LEARN SO MUCH ABOUT THE PEOPLE ALL AROUND US,

EVEN ABOUT THE PEOPLE WE ALREADY KNOW,

JUST BY TAKING THE TIME TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.

AND IF YOU PAY JUST A LITTLE ATTENTION,

YOU'LL FIND WISDOM AND POETRY IN THEIR WORKS.

DO PEOPLE REALLY WANT YOU TO ASK ABOUT THEIR LIVES?

YEAH, THEY DO.

MOST PEOPLE LOVE TO BE LISTENED TO

BECAUSE IT TELLS THEM HOW MUCH THEIR LIVES MATTER.

ALL YOU NEED TO ASK ARE QUESTIONS LIKE:

WHO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN YOUR LIFE?

OR, WHAT ARE YOU PROUDEST OF?

REALLY, LISTENING CLOSELY IS SIMPLE.

WHEN YOU'RE CURIOUS, TREAT PEOPLE WITH RESPECT

AND HAVE JUST A LITTLE COURAGE TO ASK THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS,

GREAT THING ARE GONNA HAPPEN.

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]

JAMES: LET'S TALK ABOUT MISS DEVINE.

CHERIE: LIZZY DEVINE.

JAMES: MISS DEVINE WAS A WIRY LADY.

SHE WORE SUMMER DRESSES, SHE HAD A BANDANA AND A STRAW HAT

AND SHE WAS THE ONLY PERSON I KNEW

THAT HAD MORE POWER THAN MY GRANDMOTHER.

CHERIE: SHE WASN'T A MEAN PERSON, SHE WAS STERN.

JAMES: STERN, YES, VERY STERN.

CHERIE: YOU KNOW, WHEN SHE SAID SOMETHING,

SHE MEANT EXACTLY WHAT SHE SAID.

IN FACT, SHE WAS OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER.

THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD KEEP YOU

FROM GOING TO SUNDAY SCHOOL,

YOU HAD TO HAVE ONE FOOT ON A BANANA PEEL

AND THE OTHER IN THE GRAVE.

JAMES: ABSOLUTELY. CHERIE: THAT'S THE ONLY THING.

JAMES: THERE'S NO EXCUSE.

CHERIE: YOU HAD TO GO. JAMES: HAD TO GO.

CHERIE: ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU PRAYED FOR

WHEN YOU WERE IN MISS DEVINE'S CLASS WAS,

"LORD, PLEASE LET ME GET OLD ENOUGH

TO GET OUT OF THIS CLASS." (LAUGHTER)

SHE DID THE CATECHISM, "WHO MADE YOU? GOD.

WHERE IS GOD? EVERYWHERE!" (LAUGHTER)

SHE WENT THROUGH, AND WE SAID, "OH LORD, HAVE MERCY, PLEASE."

JAMES: THIS MISS DEVINE WOULD COME IN ON SUNDAY MORNINGS

TO TAKE US TO SUNDAY SCHOOL,

AND WHEN I SAW HER COME, CHERIE,

I THOUGHT THE LEAVES WOULD BE BLOWING OFF THE TREES

AND THE SKY WOULD GO BLACK AND THE CLOUDS WOULD COME IN.

AND SHE'D COME IN THE HOUSE ONE MORNING SAYING,

"GOOD MORNING, CHILDREN."

AND EVERYBODY, MY MOTHER ON DOWN SAID,

"GOOD MORNING, MISS DEVINE."

AND SHE SAID, "IT'S TIME TO GO TO SUNDAY SCHOOL

THIS MORNING, CHILDREN."

I SAID, "MISS DEVINE, I CAN'T GO TO SUNDAY SCHOOL TODAY."

SHE SAID, "NO?" I SAID, "NO, MA'AM."

SHE SAID, "WHY NOT?"

I SAID, "BECAUSE MY MOTHER DIDN'T BRING ENOUGH CLOTHES

FOR ME TO GO TO SUNDAY SCHOOL THIS MORNING."

SHE SAID, "OH, NO?" I SAID, "NO MA'AM."

SHE SAID, "WHAT DO YOU HAVE?

WHAT KIND OF CLOTHES DO YOU HAVE?"

I SAID, "ALL I HAVE, MISS DEVINE,

ARE MY PAJAMAS AND MY TENNIS SHOES."

SHE SAID, "WELL, THAT'S OKAY, HONEY.

PUT YOUR TENNIS SHOES ON.

WE'LL GO TO SUNDAY SCHOOL."

I LOOKED AT MY MOTHER AND SHE LOOKED AWAY, CHERIE.

MISS DEVINE MADE ME WALK TWO BLOCKS

IN MY PAJAMAS AND MY TENNIS SHOES.

I HAD TO SIT IN CHURCH WITH MY FRIENDS,

DOING SUNDAY SCHOOL IN MY PAJAMAS AND MY TENNIS SHOES.

I'M GONNA TELL YOU, CHERIE, I NEVER LIED AGAIN. (LAUGHS)

CHERIE: MISS DEVINE WAS ALWAYS THERE TO TAKE CARE OF US.

JAMES: RIGHT.

CHERIE: BUT WHEN MISS DEVINE BRAIDED YOUR HAIR,

YOUR EYES WENT UP LIKE THIS. (LAUGHTER)

YOU HAD TO SLEEP ON SOFT PILLOWS

BECAUSE, I MEAN, BOY, SHE HAD IT TIGHT.

JAMES: MM-MM.

CHERIE: AND MISS DEVINE HAD MANGO TREES ALL OVER HER YARD,

BUT MISS DEVINE NEVER BROUGHT YOU A MANGO

UNTIL IT WAS ROTTEN. (LAUGHTER)

IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD SMELL LIKE LIQUOR. (LAUGHTER)

THAT'S WHEN SHE BROUGHT YOU A MANGO.

JAMES: YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF

THAT WE GOT GROWING UP, AND I NEVER FORGET THAT.

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]

NOE: MY MOTHER, SHE WOULD ACTUALLY MAKE

UNDER $8,000 A YEAR.

AND IF SHE REACHED THE $8,000,

SHE WOULD ACTUALLY BE HAPPY THAT SHE MADE THAT MUCH.

SO, I WOULD LITERALLY GO OUTSIDE MY HOUSE,

PUT ALL MY PRODUCTS THERE AND SELL THEM.

I DIDN'T MAKE MUCH.

I MADE, WHAT, 20 BUCKS A WEEK.

BUT FOR A EIGHT YEAR OLD,

YOU'RE A MILLIONAIRE WITH THAT KIND OF MONEY.

ALEX: THAT'S A LOT OF COMIC BOOKS AND STUFF, YEAH.

NOE: BUT THE THING IS, I WASN'T LIKE OTHER KIDS.

I DIDN'T GO BUY POKEMON CARDS.

LITTLE MONEY I MADE, I GAVE IT TO MY MOM.

THE FIRST TIME, I REMEMBER SHE WAS COOKING

AND I CAME UP TO HER AND I TOLD HER,

"MOM, I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE MONEY,

SO HERE'S 15 BUCKS I MADE."

SHE TURNED OFF THE STOVE,

SHE TURNED AROUND AND STARTED CRYING AND HUGGED ME.

FROM THAT POINT ON,

I JUST DEDICATED ON GETTING MONEY FOR MY FAMILY.

ALEX: HOW DID YOU MAKE THAT MONEY?

NOE: FIRST OF ALL, THE ONE THING THAT COMES TO PEOPLE'S MIND

IN THE BAD NEIGHBORHOODS IS DRUGS,

BUT I DID NOT SELL DRUGS.

REASON FOR THAT IS, FIRST OF ALL, I KNOW IT'S WRONG.

SECONDLY, I PICTURE MY MOM, HOW DISAPPOINTED SHE'LL BE

IF SHE FINDS THAT OUT.

SO, I ACTUALLY STARTED HELPING IN A CONSTRUCTION SITE,

AND THIS WAS IN FIFTH GRADE.

IT WAS BAD ON MY BONES.

I HAVE BAD SHOULDERS, BAD KNEES,

FOR ALL THE STUFF THAT I WAS CARRYING.

ALEX: WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER, DID YOU REALIZE KIND OF LIKE,

HEY, THIS ISN'T NORMAL,

OR THIS ISN'T WHAT OTHER PEOPLE GO THROUGH.

NOE: WELL, I ALWAYS KNEW I WAS POOR.

BUT I REMEMBER ONE TIME IN PARTICULAR,

MY SHOES WERE ALL SCRAPED UP,

SO I GOT PAINT AND I PAINTED THEM WHITE.

SOME KID FELL AND TRIPPED IN FRONT OF MY SHOES

AND NOTICED THEM.

HE POINTED IT OUT AND LAUGHED,

AND THAT'S WHEN IT HIT ME REALLY HARD, LIKE,

I'M ACTUALLY POORER THAN I THOUGHT.

HOW'S YOUR FIRST SEMESTER OF COLLEGE BEEN?

THINGS ARE GREAT.

I JUST THINK ABOUT IT, LIKE, BEING THE FIRST ONE

TO GO TO COLLEGE IN MY WHOLE FAMILY OF OVER 50 OF US.

THAT'S MY BIGGEST MOTIVATION.

I'M REALLY PROUD OF YOU THAT YOU WENT THIS FAR,

AND I JUST WANT TO HAVE YOU COME BACK IN LIKE, TEN YEARS,

DRESSED REALLY SHARP, YOU KNOW...

NOE: AND NICE SHOES.

ALEX: WITH A SUIT AND NICE SHOES AND FINALLY HAVE A PAIR OF SHOES

THAT YOU HAVEN'T PAINTED,

AND I WANT YOU TO GET EVERYTHING YOU'VE EVER WANTED.

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]

I ALWAYS HAVE A NOTECARD IN MY POCKET THAT TELLS ME

WHAT THE DATE IS AND I HAVE TO WRITE DOWN WHEN I EAT MEALS,

BECAUSE SOMETIMES I MIGHT EAT LUNCH THREE TIMES

BECAUSE I DON'T REMEMBER THAT I ATE ALREADY.

THE DOCTORS SAY THE BRAIN CAN

CONTINUE HEALING UP TO TWO YEARS,

BUT WHATEVER IS NOT BACK BY THAT POINT

IS NOT LIKELY TO EVER COME BACK.

SO YOU HAD YOUR SURGERY IN NOVEMBER OF 2008, RIGHT?

RIGHT.

AND SO, I'M GONNA HAVE TO LIVE THE REST OF MY LIFE THIS WAY.

AND THE THING THAT SCARES ME THE MOST IS LIKE,

THE THOUGHT THAT I WILL WAKE UP ONE DAY

AND I'LL BE 80 YEARS OLD

AND I WON'T REMEMBER THE LAST 40 YEARS OF MY LIFE.

YASIR: DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU FIRST CAME OUT OF SURGERY?

GWEN: I KNOW THAT I USED TO ALWAYS THINK

THAT I WAS IN SAN FRANCISCO. (LAUGHS)

YASIR: WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS CALLED?

DO YOU REMEMBER?

GWEN: CONFABULATIONS? YEAH.

DO YOU REMEMBER ANOTHER CONFABULATION

THAT I USED TO HAVE?

YASIR: YOU USED TO THINK

THAT YOUR CO-WORKER BARBARA WAS YOUR MOM.

GWEN: (LAUGHS) THAT'S RIGHT.

YASIR: EVEN THOUGH SHE'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT RACE THAN YOU.

GWEN: (LAUGHS) THAT'S FUNNY, YEAH.

THERE WAS ONE POINT WHERE YOU WERE CONFUSED

BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT WE HAD BROKEN UP.

AND I WOULD ASK YOU LIKE,

"WHY DO YOU THINK YOU'RE STAYING AT MY PLACE?"

YOU'RE LIKE, "WELL, WE'RE JUST COOL LIKE THAT."

(LAUGHS) YEAH, SORRY ABOUT THAT.

THAT'S ALRIGHT.

AND AFTER ALL YOU'VE BEEN DOING FOR ME.

THANKFULLY YOU GOT OVER THAT.

I'M THANKFUL FOR THAT AS WELL.

SO IS THERE ANY POSITIVE THINGS THAT HAVE COME

OUT OF LOSING YOUR MEMORY, WHEN YOU LOOK BACK ON IT?

WELL, I RAN THE NEW YORK CITY MARATHON WITH YOU,

MY BOYFRIEND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ASKED YOU

WAS TO HELP ME AS A TRICK TO NOT LET ME LOOK

AT ANY OF THE MILE MARKERS ALONG THE WAY.

AND IF I ASKED YOU HOW LONG WE'D BEEN RUNNING,

TO ALWAYS TELL ME 10 OR 15 MINUTES. (LAUGHS)

AND IT REALLY WORKED LIKE A CHARM.

YASIR: YEAH.

GWEN: AND WHEN WE GOT TO THE END,

YOU AND I ARE RUNNING ACROSS THE FINISH LINE,

AND AS IF ON CUE, I STARTED CRYING MY EYES OUT,

I WAS SO HAPPY.

YOU KNOW, I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF DAYS

SINCE MY INJURY COMPARING MYSELF TO WHAT I USED TO BE

AND FEELING SAD ABOUT THE THINGS THAT I'VE LOST,

BUT DOING THE MARATHON SHOWS ME

THAT I STILL HAVE A LOT LEFT IN ME.

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]

MY DADDY WAS ELECTED MAYOR TWICE

AND I USED TO WALK DOWN THE STREETS HOLDING HIS HAND.