Missing basic understanding of events

Question

I'm new to Flex, but I've got it to do 95% of what I need for a data-streaming prototype using BlazeDS.
I'd really appreciate some insight on the last 5%:  events (dispatching and listening)
I have a datagrid that is being populated with one set of data - car makes (Chrysler, Ford, GM).
I have another datagrid being populated with car models (300C, Mustang, Camaro).  This dataset is being pushed from Blaze as an IMessage event.
When the Flex app renders the car makes datagrid, the text is not enabled.
What I'm trying to accomplish is this:  Once I receive a message from the car models stream that it's done for that make, I want to enable that make's  text.
Here's my actual datagrid:
    <mx:DataGrid id="dgMake" x="25" y="180" width="109" height="397" dataProvider="{initML}" textAlign="center">
        <mx:columns>
            <mx:DataGridColumn headerText="Makes">
                <mx:itemRenderer>
                    <mx:Component>
                        <mx:Text textAlign="left" width="90%" text="{data.make}" enabled="false"/>           
                    </mx:Component>                       
               </mx:itemRenderer>
           </mx:DataGridColumn>
        </mx:columns>
    </mx:DataGrid>
If someone could walk me through the basics of setting up an a listener, I'd be very grateful.
-chad

Answer 1

Greg-
This didn't even occur to me, so thanks for the suggestion.  However, when I try to implement it, I get a compiler error "1120: Access of undefined property myVar."  It seems pretty straightforward, I'm not sure why it doesn't like my bound variable, unless it has something to do with the text object inside of the component object so it renders.
Any other ideas?