It looks like I don’t get my full year. In fact if I get another month or two I can count myself very, very lucky.
The cancer and associated infections are bad enough, but I discover something about myself that I would have never expected: I am subject to extreme panic attacks.
The attacks don’t seem to have any origin, rhyme, or reason. They just force my entire bodily resources into sucking air in and out of my lungs. That being the case, it doesn’t leave much room for additional efforts.
My son, James, is easily capable of blog posts and short emails, and to take over the blog if he wanted it. But unfortunately there is no way I can patch this together well enough to make the sequel to “Temporary Duty” work.
So those of you who contributed with that in mind? You got cheated, and I’m sorry.
Thank you and God bless you, to each and every one who responded to the appeal. I’m sorry I couldn’t return your efforts in kind.
If there are more announcements to be made, please watch this space.
regards,
Ric
45 comments
Comments feed for this article
21 July 2012 at 6:37 pm
Can't hark my cry
My heart is desolate that you may not be able to complete /Service Call/–and several others that I know of; in part because I want to know the ending, but mostly because you deserved more recognition than one book will give you. You are (and I say this as a very careful and demanding reader, who is acquainted with your works in some depth), a remarkable writer, who deserved far more honor than he will ever receive. Dunno about anyone else (and I know there are many of us)–but so far as I am concerned, no apologies are due, or justified. You gave to us. . .thank you.
21 July 2012 at 6:45 pm
Gina Duvall
Please know that you remain in my prayers. Anxiety attacks are exceedingly common with lung cancer, I’ve seen aeresolized Morphine, (used as an inhaler), work wonders with air hunger. (Low dose, and don’t worry about developing a tolerance. There is no ceiling on Morphine, so if it is effective, please don’t hesitate to use it.
21 July 2012 at 7:15 pm
Can't hark my cry
Thank you, Gina!
21 July 2012 at 7:16 pm
Gary York
Ric,
My first ‘instinct’ on reading this was to express my deepest sympathy. But I am not that fond of sympathy nor am I good at it. On those few occasions where I have been it’s object I even sometimes found it annoying.
Instead, I offer this old admonition: “Do not go gentle….”
And encourage you to, at least daily,
- Get the idea that your body _is_ whole, healthy, and vigorous.
- Get the idea that you have _at least_ ten more books to write and _affirm_ that you have no intention of ducking out before the job is well and truly done.
- Get the idea that the world is a far better place with you in it.
Get the idea?
And one more.
Get the idea that there will be at least one person who will be — truly annoyed — if you fail to write even one sequel to, “Temporary Duty.”
Get well and get busy, Ric; there’s work to do.
G.
21 July 2012 at 7:20 pm
Ric Locke Isn’t Doing Well at All
[...] Please keep Ric and his family in your prayers. You can remember him by purchasing a copy of his excellent novel, Temporary Duty, and by recommending it to friends. [...]
21 July 2012 at 7:48 pm
McGehee
I’ll decide when I’ve been cheated. I consider what I gave to have been an investment, and I’m not writing it off yet.
If it turns out I have to write it off though, well, it was for a worthy cause.
21 July 2012 at 8:19 pm
cranky-d
I donated because I could. I don’t feel cheated, and I’m not giving up yet. I hope you don’t give up either.
21 July 2012 at 8:43 pm
geoffb5
What cranky-d said. Plus just reading your comments at Protein Wisdom over the years has given me much more than I could ever repay. This blog and the book are the whipped cream and cherries on top of all those wonderful, chock full of goodness, postings there.
You are in my prayers and candles will be lit tomorrow.
21 July 2012 at 10:20 pm
xbradtc
Ric, I’ve been reading your comments around the blogosphere for 8 years. Some I liked, some I loved, some pissed me off.
But damn near all of them made me think. Thank you for letting me be a small part of your world.
21 July 2012 at 10:36 pm
ChrisP
Rick,
Prayers for you. I hope to God that you can get past it, but thanks for being here.
22 July 2012 at 2:48 am
Ivan
Be more selfish! Fight! Live as long as possible! But not for writing, not for being between 4 walls, not doing service for others! Travel if you can! Do stuff for _yourself_! Your time is precious… Thank you for using some of it to write Temporary Duty. But to ask you to use any more would be… wrong. Use it for yourself, for your family. We’ll all be thinking of you, and praying for you. You need to be thinking of _you_ too.
22 July 2012 at 4:49 am
James A Donald
Bye Ric. I will miss you.
22 July 2012 at 10:19 am
Teresa in Fort Worth, TX
It is far more important that you spend the time that you have left with those who know and love you the most – your family. It would be unforgivably selfish to ask you to take moments from them – they need you far more than we do.
I pray that you are able to find comfort and peace and that your way may be eased. Your journey has not been in vain.
There was a stained-glass window behind the altar of the church that I grew up in, and the verse on it has always stayed with me:
“Come unto me all ye who are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Peace and blessings to you and your family.
We’ll shoulder your pack from here, sir.
22 July 2012 at 7:12 pm
serr8d
I’ll never forget the commanding comments you left on pw. Always, they amazed me with their clarity and insight, intelligence, and most importantly, their deep, understated wisdom.
God bless you, Ric.
22 July 2012 at 8:27 pm
naleta
I feel privledged to have been able to read ‘Temporary Duty’. We are all here on temporary duty. If my contribution makes it easier for you to grab on to a little more time with your family, then that’s all to the good.
22 July 2012 at 8:50 pm
Steve Rusk
Well, Rick, when I discovered that I was also on Death Row, I was in great distress, because I am a clever man, & have always been able to get out of any jam I was in by hook or by crook, but this was one where I was up against the wall.
I reasoned with myself that, if there was a God, then He ought to be able to do better than this; I mean, what sense does it make for a man to live from A to Z, with all the suffering, the joy, the pain, the pleasures, and the stuff of life that comes in between the alphabetical bookends of life, like love, good food, the sweetness, and all; what sense does it make to taste all of that and then die like a dog? No sense at all, that’s what.
If that’s all there is, then God, I reasoned, is mocking us. If He simply shows us all that life can be, and then pulls the rug out from under us, He is just cruel, and mocking us, and He ought to be able to do better than that.
Well, one night, in my room, in desperation, for I had gone to the library, looked up all the god books, all the answer books, and found not help; one night I got down on my knees in my room and called out to the unknown God. I said “God, if you are there, please help me. I’ve got to have you in my life” etc.
Within a week, I was given two Bibles, and I began to read them; I read for about an hour a day, that’s all. I read Matthew, Mark, Luke & John through three times in a row, and I found peace. I found that God really did better than living from A to Z only to die like a dog. His offer is eternal life.
It is there for you, too, Rick. The promose of God is that “whosoever will” can be “saved.” Don’t be fearful of that word, “saved,” it is a good word.
All I can offer you is what I did. Death is an enemy, and Christ has conquered it. When I read that He rose from the dead, my mind was pricked, and I knew that there was something in there for me; I wasn’t sure what, but there was nothing else in all of the world that pointed to life like Christ. By simply believing the Word of God, I have not got eternal life. The doctors can’t give it; the shrinks can’t give it, but Jesus can.
I urge you to give the New Testament a go. It made all the difference to me.
All the best to you.
Steve Rusk
nodaksteve@gmail.com
24 July 2012 at 12:17 pm
William Powell
I absolutely loved Temporary Duty, but the donation wasn’t because I expected payment with another novel. Just live your life the best you can.
25 July 2012 at 11:24 am
Janie4
As William Powell did, I loved your book, but I gave money because I wanted to, and because it made your life a little easier. That’s what I invested in. If the oxygen machine or the pizza or whatever you did with the money made your life one small bit better, for a nanosecond, then my investment paid off over a thousand times. Thank you for letting me give it. God Bless.
26 July 2012 at 7:12 am
ELF Radio
Mr. Locke,
You probably don’t know me. I’m a somewhat liberal guy who used to post comments at Protein Wisdom (before that Goldstein guy published blatant lies about me and then banned me from his site entirely, heh.) I have to say, sir, that you were the only person on that site that I could say that I truly respected, despite our philosophies being very different. Your arguments were always very well-reasoned and clearly the result of a sharp and disciplined mind. I always thought that at some point, I’d start arguing/debating/butting heads with you, because you’d be a mighty foe and your responses would never include cheap slurs or emotional appeals. I guess I never did because I sensed that you might actually be a better debater than I, and the prospect of typing lengthy responses on my already extremely busy schedule was a bit daunting.
I’m sad that we never got to spar and joust. My deepest sympathies to you, sir. Both of my parents died of cancer so I’m somewhat familiar with the incredible challenges you are facing. Godspeed.
26 July 2012 at 10:19 am
Avid Reader
I’m very sorry to pass on the news that Ric passed away this week.
26 July 2012 at 10:44 am
Gary York
Well damn!
And thanks for the update: though I’d hoped for better news.
G.
26 July 2012 at 10:23 am
ELF Radio
…damn. Condolences.
26 July 2012 at 10:42 am
Jeff Goldstein
This is devastating news.
Avid Reader: can you please let me know the details for the funeral or memorial service, etc.?
26 July 2012 at 10:51 am
dicentra63
A thousand damns. He was definitely one of the good ones.
Hope God has an awfully good reason for needing him on the other side.
26 July 2012 at 10:55 am
Avid Reader
Sorry, friends, I’m afraid I have no details — I’m just a friend of a friend and thought I’d pass on the news to the visitors here.
26 July 2012 at 10:57 am
davisbr
Farewell Ric’. God speed. May eternity treat you well.
26 July 2012 at 11:15 am
Roddy Boyd
Reading Ric’s comments at PW was a graduate level course in clear-headed rational analysis. I am much better off for having been corrected by him; perhaps schooled is a better word. We are all, obviously, the poorer for his passing.
26 July 2012 at 12:26 pm
Mike LaRoche
That is terrible news. Ric used to comment on my blog occasionally, and I recently purchased a copy of Temporary Duty. I’m moving it to the top of my reading list.
26 July 2012 at 2:50 pm
wswears
Ric,
Fair winds and following seas, my friend. Godspeed
Bill
26 July 2012 at 6:37 pm
AJD
Farewell Sir, take a rest for now. But you better have those sequels ready for us to read when we catch up!
26 July 2012 at 11:42 pm
James Locke
This is Ric’s son, James. I am sorry to confirm the information already provided by ‘avidreader’… Dad passed away on Tuesday July 24th, 2012 at 1336hrs local time. His memorial service will be right here in Mineral Wells Texas.
If you would like to attend, please leave a message and a point of contact for me here so I can give you the information.
I wanted to give time to get the word out because, quite simply, Dad has friends from all over the planet, from all walks of life, and I wanted to give what time I could for any and all to come to the service.
Regards,
James
27 July 2012 at 12:03 am
Barb Caffrey
Thank you, James, but I feel terrible that your father has passed on. Ric was a very good friend of my late husband Michael’s (the same Michael B. Caffrey who was the editor of Ric’s book, TEMPORARY DUTY — one of Michael’s final edits, and something Ric appreciated years after the fact), and I got a chance to meet Ric in person when he came to Davenport, Iowa, and took Michael and me out to dinner. We had a raucous writer’s dinner, full of convivial conversation, more than a few drinks of an alcoholic nature, and some great puns (my husband was a master, but your father was no slouch in that department himself).
Ric thanked my husband in the foreward to his novel, something he didn’t have to do, but something I will always be grateful for him doing. Your father was a kind and compassionate man with a zest for life and a great deal of common sense . . . I miss him profoundly, and if I had any way to be at that funeral, believe you me, I would go. (Money does not allow. But if it did, I’d be there in a heartbeat.)
May your father be enjoying all that Eternity has to offer even as we speak — and may my husband be with him to welcome him to The Good Place (TM).
27 July 2012 at 12:15 am
cranky-d
I was hoping the earlier report was incorrect. I’m sorry that he’s gone.
27 July 2012 at 12:36 am
Harlan Ribnik, MD
Damn. I do not recall how I managed to buy and download a copy of Temporary Duty into my Kindle. I’m simply glad that I did.
I only started it last week and finished it just before Ric passed. My condolences to James and the rest of your family. My sorrow for the loss of a good author. There are few enough around to fill the idle hours (and, sometimes, the ones in which I should have been working at more productive tasks).
Thanks, Ric, for diverting my attention and engaging my mind! To paraphrase a common saying, Nobody ever went to his death bed wishing that he had read fewer novels and spent more time on the job.
27 July 2012 at 12:42 am
Writer Ric Locke Has Died « Barb Caffrey's Blog
[...] Ric’s last blog post, made only a few, short days ago, said that he wasn’t doing well, and that the sequel to TEMPORARY DUTY was unlikely to be able to be completed. Because of this, he apologized to those who’d donated in efforts to help him complete his second novel, and he asked for forgiveness. (Which of course he didn’t need to do, but that was Ric; he was conscientious to a fault.) [...]
27 July 2012 at 8:00 am
dustbury.com » Silence in north Texas
[...] “It looks like I don’t get my full year,” said Ric Locke last weekend. “In fact if I get another month or two I can count myself very, very lucky.” [...]
27 July 2012 at 8:11 am
pablo4200Pablo
Thank you for the confirmation, James. My condolences to you and yours. I don’t suppose I need to tell you that your father will be missed.
27 July 2012 at 8:30 am
HayZeus
Godspeed, Mr. Locke, and thank you for everything.
27 July 2012 at 1:00 pm
TRHein
I am deeply sorry for your loose. My heartfelt condolences to your entire family. Though I only knew your father via his online comments at PW his wisdom and forethought shall be sorerly missed.
27 July 2012 at 3:48 pm
Squid
Ric taught me a great many things, not least of which was humility in the face of a superior analyst. I grieve for the loss of all the words he might have shared with us, but I rejoice that I had the chance to share so many words with him while he was here.
My best wishes to all the loved ones he leaves behind. May you find strength and comfort.
27 July 2012 at 9:06 pm
Ric Locke Has Gone Ahead
[...] This is Ric’s son, James. I am sorry to confirm the information already provided by ‘avidreader’… Dad passed away on Tuesday July 24th, 2012 at 1336hrs local time. His memorial service will be right here in Mineral Wells Texas. [...]
28 July 2012 at 1:14 pm
SBP
James: my deepest condolences. While your father and I agreed politically much more than we disagreed, I can recall a few memorable occasions when we butted heads. He was a brilliant man and always debated honestly and forthrightly. He will be missed by many.
29 July 2012 at 10:44 pm
Beth H
My deepest sympathy and condolences to you and your family, James. You all will be in my prayers during this difficult time. God be with you!
30 July 2012 at 2:15 pm
J. Lawson
Godspeed, Ric. Look forward to seeing what you’ve come upwith when we catch up to you…
7 March 2013 at 12:50 am
Charles C
I’m just re-reading “Temporary Duty”, and got to the part where the XO of the ship had to come down & straighten out the Lieutenant. Made me laugh out loud. I’d have loved to read the sequel.
Clear skies!