tree_and_leaf: Peter Davison in Five's cricket gear, leaning on wall with nose in book, looking a bit like Peter Wimsey. (Books)
[personal profile] tree_and_leaf
Have just been listening to "On the Ropes" on BBC R 4, with Terry Pratchett talking about his Alzheimers diagnosis, and am now feeling decidedly sniffly, not just because it's terribly sad, but because I am so filled with admiration for the way he's taking it - with humour, courage, refusal to be made helplessly miserable, and a good deal of gumption (you can tell he's Granny Weatherwax's creator).

JH: And yet you must have bad moments - dark nights of the soul.
TP: Yes, of course I do. But we all have those, anyway. And then you get up in the morning.

I'm slightly in awe of him, actually - I wish I had half his guts and hopefulness.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-20 09:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kalquessa.livejournal.com
He really is amazing. God grant that if I ever get diagnosed with something awful, I take it like he's taking it.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-20 10:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fpb.livejournal.com
A member of my f-list, whom I love dearly, is going through the same horror. I ended up in tears for her, and SHE ended up comforting ME. After this and other things I have seen in my life, don't let anyone tell me that there is no such thing as heroism - unselfconscious, unbreakable, towering.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-20 10:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shoebox2.livejournal.com
Agreed with both of you. This sort of gut-level determination impresses me even more than the most splendid battle valour.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-21 04:20 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fpb.livejournal.com
You take the Anglican Church seriously. That shows moral courage of a very high order. And I do not mean this altogether in jest. If you cared a damn about commonplace views, you would have it as either a joke or a bunch of corrupt paedophiles. (The stereotype of the paedophile priest attached to the CofE long before it was stuck to the Catholics, and Alan Moore, to his disgrace, used it in the original V for Vendetta.)

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-21 11:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fpb.livejournal.com
Well, as I said, it was old. V for Vendetta came out in 1978, IIRC, and even then someone lambasted Moore for stereotype abuse. I guess it is one of those things that tend to recur.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-21 06:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fpb.livejournal.com
BTW, allow me to inform you that screaming mobs are common in cyberspace (cf fandom_wank and similar rabble sites). And Christians are not the least of their targets.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-21 04:22 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fpb.livejournal.com
Her online name is [personal profile] rfachir. She has recently gone public with her condition, which I had known about for a while, so I think it's OK to mention her name.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-21 07:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wellinghall.livejournal.com
I only heard a bit of the programme, but I completely agree with you.

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