This last weekend, I was in Pensacola, Florida. When I told my friend that, he said “what are you doing in Florida?” I said, “Trying to get out.” But I was actually there for Pensacon. It’s a convention that has invited me year after year, but hasn’t ever fit into my schedule until this year, so it was my first time.
Florida deserves the jokes we make about it, but my experience when I was there was quite lovely. Every person I interacted with was kind, friendly, helpful. I had an incredible piece of blackened gulf red snapper for dinner one night, my bed was comfy, and I did not have a single awkward or uncomfortable encounter with anyone at the show.
None of that is why this will be one of the most memorable conventions of my life, and I will now tell you why.
Holy. Shit.
I turned to my friend, Leah, who works with me at conventions to keep things running smoothly. “Dude, I have to come do this tomorrow.”
“Okay, we’ll take care of it,” she said.
So Saturday comes around, and I’m signing autographs at my table. Leah taps me on the shoulder and says, “it’s time to go downstairs.”
The excitement that surged inside of me threatened to explode out of my chest like Alien. I told the people who were in the line that I would be right back, I was going to fulfill a childhood dream.
We went downstairs to the photo-op area, and I apologized to the line I was cutting. They seemed to understand, my fellow fans of CHiPs, who also could not believe this was actually happening.
I bounced on the balls of my feet while I waited, and oh shit here comes Larry Wilcox. And he’s wearing a CHP uniform shirt with a name tag that says JOHN! I tried so hard to control my bouncing, but I’m pretty sure I failed.
We made eye contact and I said, “Hi, I’m Wil. I’m a huge fan and I am so excited to take a picture with you.”
“It’s so nice to meet you, I’m Larry.” We shook hands, and I didn’t keep shaking it like I did when I met Henry Rollins thank god.
There was a commotion around the corner, which could only mean one thing. Here comes Erik Estrada, much taller than I expected, and he is wearing a uniform shirt with a name tag that says PONCH.
Dude, it’s totally Ponch. Like, right there, right in front of me, are Ponch and John and I’m so excited I can’t tell if I’m going to burst into tears or throw up or what.
They take their positions on their marks, which are the same marks I had been using just a little bit earlier, and the photographer tells me that they are ready.
This is my chance. This is the one time I get to say this. I take a deep breath, and I say, “I don’t want to take up a ton of your time, so I’ll say this quickly. I grew up in Sunland-Tujunga, and you guys used to film in my neighborhood all the time.”
They looked at each other. “Sunland-Tujunga!” Larry Wilcox said. “We love Sunland-Tujunga!”
“Yeah, it was a great place to grow up. So I loved watching CHiPs, and I loved that I could see streets I recognized when I watched it.
“One day when you were filming, in like 1979, I think, my babysitter went to the set and came back with your autographs for me. I cherished them, until they were lost in a move probably 40 years ago.”
Erik Estrada’s eyes lit up and he flashed me that classic Ponch smile. I took a steadying breath.
“But this is really what I wanted to tell you: I had a rough childhood, with a lot of abuse an exploitation. I was sad and scared most of the time. But whenever you were on my TV, I was happy and I was safe. I loved CHiPs so much. You were the adults I wished I’d had in my life. You guys protected people, you stood up to bullies, and the whole cast felt like a group of people who were always there for each other. I desperately wanted that in my life, and watching CHiPs got me as close to it as I could get. So I really just want to say thank you for your work and for the joyful memories you gave me.”
“Oh, buddy,” Erick Estrada said, “thank you. Come here,” and he pulled me into a warm and loving hug.
“Thank you,” I said, “you have no idea.”
“I think maybe we do,” Larry Wilcox said, very kindly, with a warm smile. Maybe I’m not the first person to share a story like mine with them.
“Let’s take a great picture,” Erik Estrada said.
“Thank you. I’d love that,” I said.
I stood between them, they put their arms around me, and a dream came true for 9 year-old Wil.
They were such kind men. I felt seen and I felt special. All these years later, Ponch and John can still make this weird, sad, scared, little kid feel safe.
I will cherish this memory for the rest of my life.
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What an absolutely precious story 🥹❤️ I am so happy for you!!
That’s too awesome. I love that you had this opportunity and even felt the excitement you experienced.
Such a beautiful feeling for a childhood dream to be realised. Glad to see you in between them–happy.
I’m so happy and thrilled for you. The CHiPS cast really did create a great show, it was a childhood favourite of mine, too
That was my face when I got my picture taken with Tigger at Disney World! I did not care if I was a full-grown adult. In that moment, I was the kid who embraced the magic of Tigger. So happy you made your dream come true!
Dude! This is so awesome! I’ve been watching a lot of Murder, She Wrote as one of my comfort shows and Larry Wilcox is one of those actors that’s in more than one episode, playing different characters, and he’s one of the actors I get excited about seeing on the show. (Also, Genie Francis, and I just caught an episode with Jeri Ryan in it.) This photo is epic in joy. I’m so glad you go to do this! (And damn, Erik Estrada is still ridiculously handsome!)
They say “They say don’t meet your heroes.”
I don’t know why they always say that they say this. I’ve heard a lot of people tell great stories about meeting their heroes, and the heroes also tell great stories about being met, and sometimes one of my heroes meets their heroes, and it’s wonderful!
It’s how I felt when I met you at the Stand By Me Live in Boston. It’s why I flew from Canada. Stand by Me was my safe place. I’m glad you got to meet the actors of yours. 💜
I am so happy this happened for you 💕 Much love to you and yours!
The looks on your faces show pure happiness! <3
That’s so awesome… But growing up in woodland hills was the same…. Only it was you never knew who your neighbor would be.. or your classmates… So glad you got to fulfill a childhood memory that was positive. And yeah, watched it every week also.
And you’ve had Michael Dorn in your life for so long! When I realized Michael had been on CHiPs I was overjoyed. Family loved that show, brother binges it from time to time. Thank you for sharing this, and I’m so happy you got this.
This story made me very happy. Happiness is in short supply so where you can find it is great.
I’m sure I’m safe in saying this Wil but you are some people safe space too. Slap on an audiobook and having your voice in their ears makes them feel like things will be okay.
I’m very happy you felt seen and felt safe. 🙂
I used to love that show too back in the uk. Never missed it. My friends and I used to argue about who would be Ponch when we played out afterwards. Didn’t have the childhood you did, I was lucky, but I’m so glad they were everything you hoped them to be.
I am so very happy for you.
That‘s so wonderful 🥲
I am so happy with how happy you look in that picture. Yay Wil!
Thank you for sharing such a special interaction with us! I’m so happy this happened for you 🫂
So awesome for you to have that same moment we have when meeting you! Happy Pensacola treated you well. I hope you come back to Pensacon.
Love, love, love this. I’ve seen a lot of pictures of you but I’ve never seen a smile this huge.
Dude, you got me crying happy tears for you, this is so awesome!
What a wonderful experience. I just finished Eureka and was pleasantly surprised when you showed up in the later seasons. Love your work.
Aw! That’s a great story! I love that you get all fanboy just like the rest of us! And I’d like to know what Erik Estrada is doing to stay SO FREAKING HANDSOME! My gods! I met him years ago at a con and he looks exactly the same! I want what he’s having! LOL
I’m verklempt. It’s so helpful to hear such a wonderful story about compassion and support in theis horrible, brutal world. Thanks.
Dude, thank you for making me so happy this morning. And, of course, I’m so happy that you got to experience this and that it went the way it did. I was a huge CHiPs fan as a kid myself, and it’s nice to know that Ponch and Jon are lovely guys in real life.
tears. just tears. so happy for grown wil that childhood wil got this moment.
Lovely story, Wil, and I’m so glad you got to experience this. <3
Dammit, you made me cry at work!
That is so cool, and I love that for you!! You are such a kind human, bringing bits of brightness to us. I love that you got a bit of brightness for yourself.
I am going to be wearing this smile for a while today. Thank you, Wil.
So happy they seem to be just as good in real life as they were on tv!
I am so happy you got that experience, Wil!!!
OMG! They look like they did in 1979!
OMG! They look like they did in 1979! How awesome. I am thrilled for 9 year old Wil! You look so happy!
You know, I’d super appreciate it if you’d quit making me cry! 😉 Really though, I get where you’re coming from. As a fellow child of the 70’s, I think a lot of us were wandering the desert of inattentive, absentee parents. I was fortunate in that I skipped the abuse part, but I too enjoyed that comforting feeling of being part of a real, supportive family – even if it wasn’t real, it was close enough.
Almost cried myself – that is so so so awesome. Good for you, man – glad you have such a great memory and those guys didn’t disappoint.
One of the things that I love about your writing is how the emotions really come through. The sheer joy of the moment (or whatever else you might be feeling) is so present and real and honest. It’s amazing. Thank you for everything you share.
Perfect article 🖼️
I love the look of absolute JOY on your face. This is the best thing I’ve seen all week. Congratulations.
This absolutely brought me to tears. You look SO happy in this picture! What a wonderful thing to experience. So happy for you Wil.
This is exactly how I will feel when I get to see you in Pittsburgh soon. 🥺❤️ I love to see that big smile on your face !! I left a comment on FB but then realized you can’t see them, so I will put it here as well for you. 🥲 Here goes…:
Dearest Wil,
I don’t often leave comments like this, but for this, I have to. Stand By Me is my favorite movie of all time, though saying that doesn’t even begin to express the depth of what it means to me. This film has been my safe haven since I was a kid. It’s on constant rotation in my household weekly, sometimes triweekly, depending on how much comfort I need in that moment.
Stand By Me has guided me through so much throughout my life from loss, grief, joy, adolescence, and now into adulthood. As my favorite (and the best) coming of age story, it has left me with a permanent reminder in my heart: “You can do anything you want, man.” Gordie’s words echo in my mind and heart through my tough moments when I feel like I’m never gonna make it, reminding me that even when life feels impossible, I have the strength to keep going.
I know you may never see this, and I don’t expect you to, but I couldn’t let the opportunity pass without telling you, or the universe, how much this film means to me.
I wished on every star, and my dream has came true. I get to attend the 40th anniversary event so very soon, (WITH my best friend since we were 12 ‼️) and I know it will be one of the most unforgettable moments of our lives. I love you, Corey, Jerry, and, most importantly River, forever. 💙
Thank you for raising me in a way I can never fully put into words. Even though it was just on a screen, you gave me the strength and perspective to face life.
You are so kind. I’ll see you in a couple weeks!
I’m so happy to read this, Wil! What a great experience for Adult Wil and 9-year-old Wil!
Reading this, I’m sitting here crying happy tears because I understand.
For most of my life, I gravitated towards people who felt safe to me, not understanding boundaries (because mine were eroded) or even having the language to communicate why I was so clingy with them. It’s only been in the past few years and involved in different types of therapy that I finally realized it.
I love this post. So much. Strong and loving heart beats through, and on and on and on.
This is very similar to my experience at a recent con when I was having a photo with Gates McFadden and Marina Sirtis. I wasn’t in an abusive household growing up, but we were poor and my mum was doing her best as a single parent (as my dad wasn’t around for me or my siblings). Star Trek TNG was definitely an escape show for the whole family, and meeting them both, two women I looked up to growing up, was an incredibly emotional experience. I told them what they meant to me (or tried to) and Marina said “don’t cry, it’ll ruin the photo” which made me laugh, and it’s now one of my favourite photos. I’m so glad your heroes lived up to expectations. That’s the best feeling.
When I saw the article title in my feed reader, I thought “Why is Wil talking about CHiPs?” Your story made me cry. That was such a good show.
I’m not crying–you are!
You made me cry. How heart-warming to know you were able to meet your hero’s.
Larry Wilcox is 78, Erik Estrada 76. They look awesome.
Love this! Go CHIPS!
I am weeping tears of happiness for you, Wil ❤️