Why Uncle Gary?

This picture means more to me than I can put into words.

That's my nephew — who we lost too soon — and my niece, who still lights up every room she walks into. They're the reason Ask Uncle Gary exists.

When you've been "Uncle Gary" long enough, you learn something important. Advice isn't about having all the answers. It's about showing up. Listening. Offering a little perspective, maybe a laugh, and reminding people that whatever they're facing, they're not facing it alone.

Every time I sit down to write, I think about the conversations we had, the ones I wish we'd had, and the ones I still get to have. That's the beating heart of this column.

I've worn a lot of hats in this life. In my twenties, I was on stage in New York City. In my thirties, I was a fitness trainer to celebrities in Los Angeles. In my forties and fifties, I was behind the chair as a hair and makeup artist and an adjunct teacher at USC, School of Dramatic Arts. But for forty-five years — through every single chapter — my favorite title has always been Uncle Gary.

Here's what I'll do for you. I'll take your questions — the deep ones, the light ones, and the ones that make you say "you can't make this stuff up" — and I'll send you back into the world with a little more clarity, a little more courage, and maybe a laugh you didn't see coming.

Every Monday, a new column lands in your inbox. Over time, we'll build something better than a readership — we'll build a crew. People who show up for each other. Because nobody gets through this life alone.

I'll keep showing up for you, the way I did for them.

Let's do this.

— Uncle Gary