I have my usual alarm set for tomorrow; 5:45 am and I go make coffee for the high school boys and we stagger to the car to drop them off at the Universal Metro Station. This will be the first time the boys will have a volunteer Uber driver who just turned fifty…It will be more of a trip for me then them.

Speaking of the trip:

I was born to Pedro & Irene and my parents were in their 30’s so there was a lot of excitement from my extended family because 30 was usually a good age for being a grandparent. So, there was a curiosity to see such “old” folks having kid. What could go wrong?

Well, almost everything. Dads weren’t allowed in the delivery room then and the final instructions from Irene to Pedro were no matter what happens his name is Erich Santana! Well, they wheeled her away and gave her what was called a saddle block; instead of going down it went up and two weeks later she woke up from a coma. The family naturally all followed her while I waited patiently in the nursery. Not a lot of taps on the glass to say hi.

When (gratefully) Irene came out of the coma; she learned that the Chinese looking kid in the picture was named Pedro Rafael (Irene’s Dad) Santana, Jr. (Technically impossible…) and boy were Pedro and Pedro in hot water. No Erich,a near death experience and Pedro couldn’t follow one simple request. We were in the doghouse for awhile.

Child actor by seven and member of SAG and AFTRA since 1973; avoided having to go to St. Charles Borremeo by going to school on the set. So, not a typical child hood and because I was “working” I was unable to do things or activities most kids did as part of their routines.

Not bitter but I feel like I missed a few things; but, the one thing I missed out completely was the ability to use the excuse of having a bad childhood. Pedro and Irene loved me and the guy who broke my only child status Anthony Francis Santana (They got his name right…) and although seven years is a big age difference I really liked having a baby brother even though he couldn’t play catch or go to the movies with me without crying through the whole thing.

Nearly (A day at a time pal…) fifty years later Mom is gone; technically dying twice with a long and horrific experience with Alzheimer’s and Pedro is still working and probably never retiring. I married Jen and had the sons any parent would wish for (Nicholas Francis Santana and Alexander Pierce Santana) and now nearly a month ago young Anthony and his lovely wife Elena adopted a newborn (who came early! Atta girl!) from Joplin, MO. She has been in California with us for about three weeks and this lovely gal is named Aidan Irene Santana. Tony and Elena saved this little girl’s life! She was never going to have the amount of love she has received in a month in her whole childhood. It’s not easy having kids at any age; but these two took this new challenge and I am so very proud of them. I have seen my niece quite a few times. My extended family is huge! I see a baby and then I don’t see them again for years. I have seen this baby girl and every time I see her again she’s still baby size! I love seeing my boys in complete amazement of their cousin and this little girl is well protected and loved and we’re having a “sprinkle” for her in a couple of weeks.

Am I exactly where I want to be at fifty? No, but another Francis once said, “The Best is Yet to Come…” and you know what? I believe him. He recorded “Live at the Sands” in 1966 and he had just turned 50 then! So, I feel ready for any and everything. I have met a lot of people in fifty years and many have left a mark on me that I’ll think of them until my last day and there are some I have no idea where they are but I hope they’re happy. The people who were my biggest adversaries in my 40’s were typically in their 50’s so we’ll be moving into different age categories together and I hope your impending 60’s softens you but the good news is it’s not my problem or my decision.

I am creating (Have been working on it a little longer than I hoped…) on a podcast called “Change Your Spots” and it will be mostly about music not from the Woodstock era, books not written by James Redfield or Scott Peck and movies not on everyone’s radar. I am doing this for myself to stay and maintain an informed and CURRENT opinion. It was suggested to me I let go of old ideas a long time ago and since then I had to let go of several more and probably creating some as we speak. So, I am excited and I am very , very sure with the exception of a handful of folks my audience is going to be mostly of people I don’t know; have never met and may never see in person.

Have I told you lately that I love you?

My forties were pretty good; bring it on my fifties-bring it on!

PRS