Badges and Butterflies
The only two public figures who made me cry when they died were Terry Pratchett and Dolly Parton.
So, with Dolly's passing today, I want to tell you why Discworld novels are such a big part of who I am.
Both Dolly and Terry spent their lives showing us how to be good people. Dolly through example and Terry through prose.
As with many others today, I mourn the passing of a light from this world. It's selfish. She deserves her rest.
While we don't know the specifics on Dolly yet, Alzheimer's took Terry Pratchett. Knowing it was coming did not diminish the grief.
The Discworld novels are a fantasy parody of earth. The early books in the series lean into this heavily with characters like Cohen the Barbarian.
But somewhere around the time we meet the characters of Death and the Witches, life lessons start slipping in with the humor.
This really gets underway with the first novel about the night watch, Guards! Guards! There we meet a ragtag band of policemen the city has basically forgotten about. The head of the night watch is a character named Samuel Vimes.
The transformation of Sam Vimes over the course of his story arc is masterfully done. Who he is at his core never really changes. How he channels who he is is where his growth lies.
Many people attribute kicking their addictions to Sam's example.
Using fantasy characters like witches, vampires, dwarves, and trolls, Pratchett addresses hard topics by weaving them into funny, engaging stories.
You may not even realize it's happening at first.
The book I am holding is probably the best Discworld book Terry ever wrote.
It does require reading the previous watch novels, though. I've included a reading guide.
By the end of reading the books, these characters are like friends and family. When Terry died, it was like they all died with him.
Much like Terry's books live on after him, Dolly's music does. Her family seems committed to carrying on her legacy.
Do good in the world this week, pervs. 🧡
Rusty