It’s hard to believe that it’s already been three weeks since that crusty eyed morning where I decided to check my messages right after waking up and found a message from one of my readers (thanks Erin) with Terry Pratchett in the subject line and a link entitled Terry Pratchett: my case for a euthanasia tribunal.
As I read the piece I started thinking about it, the big “it”… the “what is it all about” kind of “it”. I mean I know that the situation is sad for both groups of people, the first group being the adoring fans, and the second group, still adoring fans mind you, but family and friends that know him as not just the author, but the person as well. Having personally witnessed what Alzheimer’s does to a family member, there is certain amount of laughter associated with the heartache. My mother said that when it got really bad you had to laugh to keep from crying.
I laughed because it was funny that my grandpa had forgotten what words he considered were bad and kept trying to teach them to my grandma. There is something magically endearing about a little old man trying to teach his wife (she had had a stroke) how to say “oh hell.” He would even encourage her. “Come on Nora, say damn it. Daaammn it.”
When I got to the end of the Pratchett piece I had to ask myself, if it was possible to find a smirk in all of that. Was this even the type of thing that deserved my style of commentary? After thinking about it for a good… however long it take to eat a bowl of cereal, I opted to go with my gut feeling. And, in the words of the always eloquent Foul Ole Ron, let me just say, “bugrit.”
I think as fans, when we first learned of Pratchett’s condition, we took in the full scope of what that all meant. The loss of Terry would be enviable. It was almost as if we started morning the loss of a great man who is still here with us. On a plus note, I still have a number of books to get through still before I even finish the all of the Discworld books for the first time. So, at least I have that going for me. Not to mention, I’m sure he’s still writing more Discworld stories for our eager minds to consume so that we can regurgitate laughter and joy all over anyone who might be in the same room with us as we read it work.
On thought is that it… well, it does help one prepare a bit. I mean sure personal expiration is the only guarantee we have in life, but there’s a kind of appreciation I have in knowing that it’s on its way, as opposed to the opposite end of the spectrum as with Adams unexpected end. No “so long”, no “fish”… it was just a headline that no one was really sure was real or not from the first few times of reading it. Terry’s announcement, I think, has helped prepare us, well, helped me prepare for “it.” His “it”, not my “it”. My “it” at this point is the type of “it” that would result in me exclaiming a loud “she” before the “it”.
I’m not sure why, but Rincewind has always reminded me of Pratchett, the man, not the author. I’m not sure why either. I don’t know the man at all. I mean I know what he looks likes, but I’d probably not recognize him if I bumped into him on the street. Not unless someone else was there to point it out for me. When it comes to Terry Pratchett, I know the man is an author. Oh, and because of an interview I read in the past year, I know that he loves playing Oblivion. He’s English… I’m clear on my facts in that regard, but I’m not sure about much more. Things like, when his birthday is. Who he thinks would win in a fight between an Alien or a Predator, or what he did before he did what he does now.
I’m not a very good fan am I? Maybe it’s just that I’m not a traditional stalker type fan. Ahh the stalker fan… so I had this friend whose name sounded like the name of a type of dog, but for her sake was spelled differently. She was a huge Dean Koontz fan. I mean huge. So one day, she just so happened to find herself at a Koontz book signing, which was a result of some her getting two days off from work, finding a sitter for her child for that time, getting a plane ticket to California, booking a hotel room close to the book store he was going to be at, and getting to the book store by 3AM so that she would be one of the first in line to meet him.
Out of all the things she could have said to him… the conversation broke down something like this, “I am one of your biggest fans.”
“Really?”
“I celebrate your birthday.”
“My birthday. What do you mean?”
“Yes. Every year. I bake you a cake and everything.”
Dean then writes down some notes and says, “That gives me an idea. Would you be ok with me using some of that in the book I’m currently working on?”
It was the phone call I got after this had happened where she told me about the above conversation, and then screamed in a bouncy, overly excited tone, “I’m going to be in a Dean Koontz book!” I tried telling her that this was not really a compliment. She failed to see how it could be anything other than one.
No, I’m much more of a lighthearted, “Thanks Terry” kind of fan. Sure it would be groovy to meet him, but if I don’t, it’s ok. As for my Terry aka Rincewind perspective, it’s just how I see it. He’s always seemed to me to be a bit of a reluctant hero. That is until the capital “A word” became a chapter in his life. And like those moments when Rincewind becomes fed up enough that running stops becoming the first choice of action. A choice was made to face it head on, which seems exactly what he’s doing now.
He a vocal Alzheimer’s awareness poster child and his donations, as well as his open dialogue towards assisted death, is that Rincewindian stand. Granted, it might not end all that well for him, but as he goes through his journey it is going to help an entire world of people whether he expected it to or not. It’s the type of thing a knight might do, though it’s probably best not to tell him that.
I could romanticize about the literary nobility and juxtapose it with reminiscent alter ego characters that may or may not exist. In the long run I don’t think it’s going to be all that useful. Perhaps it’s just a bunch of fluff in the imagination of a life I don’t know. What I can say is this, if there is one thing I’ve learned from Pratchett’s work, it’s the fascination of life, his fascination with life. Even Death is fascinated by the human experience called life.
As he said in the closing of his Richard Dimbleby lecture, “If I knew that I could die, I would live.” I think the world has a bit of Pratchett left in it. I like to think that part of life is about giving. We have volumes of gifted wit and wisdom from that man. I’ve gotten a few emails from readers who talked about how Terry’s books had gotten them through the harder times of their life. Giving them some comfort, hope, and even more so, giving them laughter when they didn’t think they had any left in them.
In some future day, when the headlines yell that Death has finally come for the old knight, I expect that before shaking hands he’ll wait for Terry to finish his brandy as they both listen to Thomas Tallis play on Terry’s iPod. Then after the official game for his soul is played. Then, regardless who wins, they’ll head to the desert, because it’s his choice.
I really don’t see an end though. As Pratchett has continually suggested, that’s the thing about belief. It keeps giving life to those you believe in, long after the headlines tell you they’re gone.
Any thoughts you’d like to share?
Image Sources:
Google Images, key words: Death, Terry Pratchett, Foul Ole Ron, and happy phone call.
Where does one begin? Firstly, nice take on one of my bigger inspirations to create and entertain others through words and boundless imagination. I think he has handled his situation in much of the same manner that Death accepts his role in Pratchett’s world. To me, Death is Pratchett. He has always been one in the same since the first day I started to read The Color Of Magic. In fact, I like to think Mort is peppered with Gaiman or perhaps the real number is that Gaiman is a giant space turtle with four elephants standing on his back.
I have always written and tried to maintain that spice of cynicism, while mixing a bowl of sarcasm to compliment my plate o’life. When I was introduced to Pratchett, Gaiman, and Adams I simply feel in love with the art of writing…not its structure mind you, because dangling a modifier can be annoying as hell.
By the way, my path to these modern cats came by way of another man who lost his life far too soon by taking it. John Kennedy Toole’s brilliance, A Confederacy Of Dunces. A marvelous read for those who may not know of it. I, like you, have many more books to get through-currently I am reading Jingo and Small Gods-so in death life, in a literary way, continues. I am hoping that someone will come along-perhaps someone who is fashionably witty and charming in the most offensive way…no names though-and give Pratchett’s readers something else to enjoy; because, holding on to yesterday makes for a very difficult tomorrow.
With that, I leave you with this quote, which I think sums it up for all of us writers who ponder on the expansiveness of our creative minds.
“…When my brain begins to reel from my literary labors, I make an occassional cheese dip.”
I like your Pratchett is Death comparison Scott. I have read A Confederacy of Dunces and must agree it is a brilliant read.
And thanks for the quote. I loved it.
I’d just like it if we all really beleived in him after he’s gone and he becomes a Small God (like the god of things getting stuck in drawers, or even a verucca gnome), but probably, we could swear an oath to Terry when we get to the tops of the stairs and forget what we went up for.
I’m so so very sad about his loss, can’t imagine how his family feel, but I sincerely hope that his dying wish is granted AND that his case makes a breakthrough in the law on euthanasia in this country.
BTW – he used to work at the waterboard (water supplu company)
When i was given a 6 month sentence in 1998, I determined that i had no intention of discovering whether or not greener pastures exist until (a) my daughters made it through Uni and (b) Terry Pratchett ceased publishing new books to be read.
Since then my daughters keep going back to school and TP is still publishing new books. I hope he is eating tumeric like myself to keep the Big A word at bay. I read the Richard Dimbleby lecture and could not believe that he was later criticised by some elements of the British media. Whenever I feel awed by some of mankind’s achievements, I am quickly brought back down to earth by the smallness of (some of) mankinds’ minds!
Heather, you are an inspiration.
As for the media’s criticism, my expectations of their ability to appear human is so low, I’ve completely stopped being surprised. Now, I mostly ignore them and read a book instead of watching the news.
I’m not sure comparing Sir Terry to Rincewind is entirely accurate. He’s always spoken out about what he feels to be right, most of his books being among the ways he does so. He also was always active in helping orangutans. He didn’t suddenly gain a conscience when he was diagnosed…. I’m sorry I’m one of the lesser stalkerish fans by you definition. I know when his birthday is but don’t feel the need to celebrate it. It’s only two days before mine anyway.
However, his reach in my life exstends far beyond that. Reaper Man helped me deal with my fathers death and continuously has restored my faith in humanity… If only because he’s a part of it. I do not argue with his stance on assisted dying. It is after all his choice and I feel pretty much the same about it in most other cases as well. Not my life, not my choice.
But I will mourn. I will mourn for his family, I will mourn for myself since he has had more impact on my life than most of my family. And I will mourn for humanity who will lose one of it’s greatest sources of wisdom and gentle laughter at our own foibles. Untill then I will treasure every word. Forever and ever Disc without end.
Agreed Deb, I think Terry’s work has helped so many people get through difficult spells in life. As for the Terry and Rincewind connection, I wasn’t trying to imply that he was only interested in something one it affected him. I don’t believe that at all. My point is that he is always running, not necessarily away from things, but in his momentum he finds himself in a situation or with a story that he shares with others that result in helping a great number of people without really having that as the goal. It’s just sort of a result of him being him.
Oh and one more thing… happy belated birthday!
I just this very moment learned of Mr. Practchett’s Alzeheimer’s. While I am very sad, and understand it is a scary thing for anybody ~ perhaps an individual like Terry who excels intellectually finds it more so. Maybe not. I have worked with individuals with all kinds of disabilities, including cognitive ones. Some individuals who have faced tremendous challenges are heroic. Don’ t count our “dear friend”, and in some ways he is a dear friend, out. First he is lucky, he is not alone. From all accounts, his wife is also his partner in life, love and writing. Then he has a vast army of well wishers who are capable of prayers, chants, candle lighting and various other rituals to send good energy his way (never turn away postivie energy, freely given). Finally he has some extraordinary resources, cos I know I have personally paid for all of his books at least once, most more than once and a few 5 or 6 times (his books are a favoraite gift for sick friends). Now, one last thought ~~ none of us know when our time will be up. The past is gone, the future is uncertain and all we really have is NOW. Mr. Practchett does very well in the now. Going to light a candle, chant a little, put down tobbaco and say a few prayers for him now…