Drake News #121: July 6, 2021
Dear people,
Things have been rough for me for a while now and I’ve decided that the Parkinson’s has won. I’m unable to concentrate mentally and my typing has gone completely to hell. I continue to work on Ryan Alesen’s plot, and I did a little short story which the editor of Weird World War 3, Sean Hazlett, says he loves but he didn’t have a commitment on this volume yet. I had a lot of fun researching it, but I’m not telling you that I love it.
The Serpent, a novel in series with The Spark and The Storm, is due out today from Baen. The series, Time of Heroes, is my attempt to tell Arthurian romances in the form of far-future SF. The books are SF with a very fantasy feel.
I’ve decided I need to stop riding a motorcycle because of this Parkinson’s. I’m not concerned about having an accident. That could happen, but I don’t think I’m likely to hurt somebody else on a bike which was always my concern with driving.
I took a course on the Can-Am three wheeler. The instructors were quite nice about it, but they really didn’t think I should be riding a bike. This was a kick in the balls but they were being nice about it rather than shouting at me about what I needed to do for my own good. I do not want to start driving a car after not having driven since 1987. I’ve seen a lot of people who drove after they were no longer safe to do so. I don’t want to be one of them myself. I thought of getting a trike regardless of instructors’ opinion. A trike wouldn’t fall over (my concern) and wouldn’t hit most things hard enough to do real damage to them. I’m not strong enough to pick up even a small bike if it goes over.
I’d been considering suicide since the Parkinson’s became clear. I got far enough down that road that I seriously decided I didn’t want to do it. Helplessness was an unpleasant thought though.
In town there’d be public transit, but we’re way out in the country which I like. I made a deal with a local-ish friend to take me places a couple days a week (sort of like Uber). My wife will also take me around.
Things are okay and I’m trying to make the best of them. So far so good.
We’ve had another July4. When I was faced with that choice back in 1970, I wasn’t a bit happy about it, but I made the right decision anyway. The nation’s leaders blew it, but I didn’t.
There were a lot of things wrong in 1970 that were obvious even to a
WASP male like me, but it’s still right for a citizen to stand up for his country.
With that patriotic note, I hope all of you have a good life.
All best,
Dave Drake
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