Shared Thoughts

December 2006

To all the fans,
Your cards and gifts and donations have not stopped and there are no words that can really express my gratitude. In the book I am writing, a boy asks his mother the origin of the Chrismas tree and she offers that when our ancestors that lived in the northern most climes where it was dark all day long and people feared the light would never return, people went out and chose the tree that was always green...the 'ever-green' tree and decorated it with gifts and food as an entreaty for the light to come back.

I would like to think that in this season when the past year is dying and the new year is being born...when days are shortest and nights are longest, when the 'light' of humanity is most yearned for and the fear and suffering in the world seem overwhelming, it is important that we all find ways to remind ourselves and each other that we are the light and it is everlasting.

I wish you all peace, happiness, and health in the coming year.
Paul.

March 25, 2006

'To all you fans who have so generously and thoughtfully remembered my birthday. Please excuse me for not answering each card and gift personally,...and please accept my thanks via this website for all your support and caring. It's a wonderful way to experience your birthday, having such a beautiful mirror held up to myself. Of course, you all know how I grouse about not deserving it. And there is a part of me that does feel that way. There's also another part of me that is truly humbled by your appreciation and support and I only hope that I conduct myself in the rest of my life to warrant such respect.

Now, there was a piece forwarded to me by Pam Meserve...a dialogue that some of you have had about my comment about 'people creating their gods in order to eat them.' Ordinarily, I would let it lie and let those who felt they understood what I was trying to say try to explain to those who took offense at it...and let things work themselves out. However, being Paul, I have never passed up an opportunity to shoot myself in the foot, so I'll try again.

I first made that comment to a reporter well into the four year run of S&H. Over time I have repeated it here and there. Let me assure you, I don't consider myself a god. Anymore than all of us are god and god is in all of us. What I was and do speak to is the sociological phenomenon of idol worship which we all as human beings need to do, myself included). The reason we need to do it is that we are all mortal. We all have to deal with death, our fear and powerlessness in the face of death. It is not something we rationally choose to do, but rather it is something that is borne out of our effort to feel empowered. So we take people that have accomplished something we consider special, be it true or not..(because it is all about our perception), and we adore them because they were able to do that in the face of their fear. We adore and adorn them because we want to celebrate that one of our kind can, in fact accomplish something in the face of our fear, and at the same time, we want to find ourselves, our likeness as humans in them. So no sooner do we elevate them than we feel we need a piece of them. An autograph, photograph, piece of clothing...to feel, know, touch, be touched, 'eat' them. (in ancient, pagan cultures, this person-made-god would literally be eaten).

So this is a fact of human behavior. It is not me referring to myself as God. It is me referring to, or explaining how I view the act of 'celebrity.' It's a sociological phenomenon that has been borne out by history over and over and over. We as humans need to identify the god in each of us, in all of us as well as us in our experience of God. There. That's my attempt at explaining. I truly do not wish to offend, or even preach to anyone. I hope you will understand.

Again, much thanks for all the remembrance of my birthday. This life is a hell of a ride, isn't it?

Best,

PMG'

January 11, 2006:

"I would like to thank you each individually, but that isn't possible, so I am sending you a collective 'thank you' for your generosity, your care and warm wishes through these holidays, and yes, even in advance of my birthday.
The world is a difficult and scary place these days, and I am thankful that part of the result of 'Starsky and Hutch' has been these web sites and the opportunity they give those that have the show in common, to experience some
togetherness and the reaffirmation they give that there is a part of us, the most important part of us in this life that knows and traffics in love. So, thanks for what you give me and for what you give each other, and again, my
best wishes for all in this and the coming years."  PMG

Sign Paul's 63'rd birthday card!

March 25, 2005

"I would like to thank each and every one of you for your birthday wishes. I'm having a fine day and a fine life. I am blessed. To all of you, best of everything, love throughout, a life with grace.   Paul"