GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - Former anchor Paul Magers returned to KARE 11 to talk about life in Los Angeles, retirement and his fight against alcoholism.
RANDY: How's life?
PAUL: How's life?
RANDY: Yeah, how's life?
PAUL: (sings) "I don't care, I don't care." -- Life's great.
RANDY: Is retirement what you though it would be?
PAUL: You know, I have to tell you, Randy, retirement is better than I ever anticipated.
RANDY: Really?
PAUL: And I don't really want to tell you about it because we won't finish this interview… seriously.
RANDY: not bored?
PAUL: No. Freedom. Literally freedom is the word I'd use… first word I would choose.
RANDY: I have to read this: “nurse today at urgent care explained my medication may cause diarrhea-told her i’m retired & that would give me something to look forward to”
nurse today at urgent care explained my medication may cause diarrhea-told her i'm retired & that would give me something to look forward to
— Paul Magers (@paulmagers) August 12, 2017
PAUL: I didn't have anyone to talk to, so I just tweeted it.
RANDY: I really think that Twitter has become your comedic outlet.
PAUL: I like observational humor. That's my favorite type of humor and it's just when you have this much free time, you observe a lot more!
RANDY: It’s allowed you to connect with people too here in Minnesota.
PAUL: It has, that's true. A lot of people in Minnesota follow me and I appreciate that very much and they say fun things. As you know, I'm sober now. Went through treatment and it's something I work at daily.
RANDY: What is working for you right now?
PAUL: To be real frank about it, I attend a 12-step program; I go to daily meetings.
RANDY: How is life different?
PAUL: Oh it's a hell of a lot better.
RANDY: Tell me about that.
PAUL: Than being drunk? Well, yeah, it's a helluva lot better.
RANDY: You see things more clearly obviously.
PAUL: Because you can see (LAUGH). Sure and usually you see one of whatever it is you see (LAUGH). Everyone has a different bottom, and I certainly, you know I was a functional alcoholic. But the fact is, I was an alcoholic.
RANDY: When did that start? Because I can remember conversations when you worked here where you would call. We’d talk late at night. I could hear the ice rattle in the glass.
PAUL: Sure, yeah, it started longer ago than I thought it would have. There were people who were shocked that I did what I was doing. it's your pride, it's the embarrassment. It's like admitting you have some weakness, when in fact, it's a disease. There were days, Randy, where I sat at this little breakfast counter in the morning and I'd be alone and crying, and asking.. I still get emotional about it… asking God to help me.
RANDY: The unattended casualties from all that, what would those be?
PAUL: Your family takes a hit, some of your friends take a hit. And for me, lucky in that respect that the damage… I would call minimal. stories you can hear, and I've heard, woo. I feel better.
RANDY: You look great.
PAUL: Well thank you.
RANDY: Thin. Thinner than I remember.
PAUL: And you look much larger. Of course the camera adds 10 pounds (LAUGH).
RANDY: Knew you were going to do that.
PAUL: How much fun did we have? It should have been illegal, every day. In those 20 years, I would say, and I believe you'd probably say the same thing, it was a pretty happy environment.
RANDY: Was it the same in L.A.?
PAUL: No.
RANDY: Why?
PAUL: Every man for himself (LAUGH).
RANDY: Did you know that from day one?
PAUL: Man overboard just keep going!
RANDY: Did you know that from day one?
PAUL: No… about day two?
RANDY: Yea,
PAUL: Day two I knew. Large egos.. man, yeah.
RANDY: How do you want people in Minnesota to remember you? In the time that you were here?
PAUL: Well, that's pretty easy for me. It's what I want the day I'm gone is what I want for my daughters to remember me, it's what I want my wife to remember. It's what I want friends like you to remember, that I was just a pretty decent person. That's all.
