When I was a kid I used to have the usual heroes that most kids had - you know: Han Solo, Superman, and Wolverine, but I also had a hero that lived much closer to me and who was there whenever I needed him. He was my Uncle Luis. My Uncle Luis was not the typical hero that you find in the comic books or the movies. He was real and yes, he had his faults just like any other real person has, but I was one of the lucky ones that could see past his faults and get to know the real person he was. He was tall and had thick hair that started to go grey at an early age. He was always in a rock and roll t-shirt and jeans even after his hair was more silvery gray that black. I remember he drove an old Pinto that was mostly a strange sun faded maroon color. Someone had driven into the driver’s side so the driver’s side door was replaced with a white door. It was a funny looking car, but it got us where we had to go. I remember jumping into the front seat while my brother climbed in the back and we go to the rental store to rent movies or go to our favorite pizza place.

Sitting in the front seat of that funny looking Pinto, next to my Uncle Luis I felt all grown up. In my whole life I never remember him talking down to me. He always talked to me as an equal and he taught me things that other “grown ups” would not understand or even care about. He taught me that it was ok to wear a purple suede jacket if you liked the jacket and it didn’t matter what anyone else thought about it. He taught me to be true to myself and my beliefs even if they were different from everyone else’s. He even taught me that it was ok to love both Star Wars and Star Trek - hahaha You don’t have to choose the things you, you can love more than one thing at a time.

The one thing he couldn’t teach me was to play the guitar. He would try to teach me a few cords but I never really gave it my all, so none of his lessons would stick with me. I remember he would play old Beatles songs as he tried to teach me to play, but even if I didn’t learn the guitar he did introduce me to the music of The Beatles. Every time we would visit my grandparents, my Uncle Luis would play The Beatles and he’d tell me how great they once were and how great they still were.

I remember as a kid crying as my uncle held me the first time my father left us. We didn’t have anywhere to go and things seemed darkest in my life. It’s funny because we were listening to The Beatles Let it Be, so that song stayed in my head long after that day and years later it would become my mantra and my way of life. I remember crying and my Uncle Luis telling me that everything was going to be ok because things had a way of working themselves out in the end all we had to do was “let it be.” Those words still ring true and strong in my life - I do believe that in the end things work out the way they’re supposed to in the end.

I told a friend recently that my creed in life is based on songs from The Beatles

1. I can get by with a little help from my friends
2. All you need is Love
3. When times get tough you just have to Let it Be and they’ll work out in the end

My friend laughed and called me a hippie - Hey, I’m ok with that.

Today Sept 09, 2009 I officially have an appointment, so I won’t be at work. I’m not saying I don’t have an appointment - I’m just saying that for most of that day my three year old niece will be doing vocals, my six year old nephew will be playing drums and I’ll be on the guitar playing old Beatles songs on the Rock band game. I’m sure I’ll look at my nephew and niece at some point and wonder if my Uncle Luis ever knew how far his influence reached. Tonight, I’ll play the guitar and think back to the past to those days riding in that funny colored Pinto with a white door and I’ll remember my Uncle Luis fondly.

Thank You Uncle Luis for being there for me when I needed you.