Paul's Last Message

This is for the friends and family of Paul Newman.

I'm writing this as a memento of a man whom I knew only a short time, perhaps getting together a dozen times during the last six months of his life.  After he passed away, I came across a message of his that I had kept on my cell phone that I shared with Augusta, and wanted to make it available for those who knew and loved him.

Here are his words, with a background view overlooking Rancho Santa Fe.



It's kind of strange to say that I miss someone who I had known for such a short time. ,  He and I are pretty intense guys, and while he was overwhelming to many, to me he was engaging.   His passions were matched by the depth of grounding in his opinions, always open to new perspectives even if they were not his own.  We were both at Columbia University at about the same time.  He studying Law, and I Graduate Psychology, neither of us to finish our professional degrees.  That's a bond that only those who share it can fully understand.

My wife and I visited Paul's organic vegatable garden in Rancho Sante Fe, and since I never met his mother,  sister or brother in law, all I had to go on was my stereotypes.  And how we love to fill in the blanks.  And then I met Augusta, after Paul was gone, and I had an understanding where he got his vibrancy, and his ability to keep on going in the face of some pretty bad breaks.   I never could understand, nor would I ever ask him about how a man of his talents ended his days in dire financial straits. 

While it's easy to claim a lack of weath  is for refusing to "sell out"  In Paul's case although he never made the claim, I believe it to be a fair explanation.  He didn't merely argue principles, he seemed to live them.  It was always a pleasure debating politics with him, but unlike when he led the debating team, he didn't care about winning, rather savoring the challenging exchange of ideas.  How rare is that?

He and I are both open minded, and in this area of California I'm often considered the liberal of the crowd.  But, not compared to Paul, who challenged any criticisms I made of President Obama.  This explains his words on the message:

I hope you're understanding why I think we've managed to luck upon the best President we've ever had.

I can see his smile now, knowing that these were his last words to me.....never to be refuted.

Adios, good buddy.