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.

See, when you’ve been “Uncle Gary” long enough, you learn that advice isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about showing up. Listening. Offering a little perspective, maybe a laugh, and reminding folks they’re not alone in whatever they’re facing.

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 heart of this column. I’ll keep showing up for you, the way I did for them.

I’ve worn a lot of hats, on stage in NYC in my twenties, I was a fitness Trainer to celebrities in Los Angeles in my thirties, behind the chair as a hair & makeup man in my forties and fifties, and in university classrooms in my sixties. But for forty‑five years, my favorite title has been “Uncle Gary.”

Here, I take your questions, the deep, the light, and the “you can’t make this stuff up,” and hopefully 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, you’ll get a new column. Along the way, we’ll build a crew that’s here for each other, because nobody gets through life alone. Let’s do this…

Me. My niece Lindsey, and my nephew, Phillip