Recently someone asked me if I had made provision for the publication of my discoveries about Bessler’s wheel, in the event of my early demise. I gave the question some thought and began to appreciate the difficulties in making such an arrangement. Creating the document is the easy part. Publishing it is easy to, if you have somewhere in mind; I considered BWF and this blog.
The difficult bit is asking someone to publish it according to the instructions with the document, at a time when they care least about such a trivial matter, and probably wouldn’t have an idea about how to go about it. One could of course consign the completed document to a trusted friend and ask him to publish it, but how would he know you had passed away?
It seems obvious that news of my death might percolate around this little community eventually but my recent experience says no. Mike Senior, my friend who translated every word of Grundlicher Bericht, Apologia Poetica, Das Triumphirende and Maschinen Tractate; not mention the hundreds of letters to German libraries, museum, record centres etc, translating my words into German and their’s back into English for me to read, died eighteen months ago and I didn’t find out for six months. I only found out when I did a search of the death notices in the local newspaper. I thought he was in and out of hospital for hip replacement so at his request did not visit him.
Yesterday I heard news of another friend who was about to make me famous or infamous! Nick Turnbull died a year ago from cancer. Nick was a firmer TV producer for a Granada Television. He was also a director, author publisher and TV pundit. He had interviewed me at length twice and was in the process of putting a pilot of the propose film forward at an international film festival. The film was provisionally called "Believing in Bessler"; he warned me that competition was stiff and not expect too much, but when I didn’t hear from him for several months I tried to contact him several times, but no luck. It was a chance meeting with a mutual friend that led to my discovery of his death.
So you see my point? There are legal ways of having the process arranged but I can’t be bothered going that route, but doubtless I shall think of something. These deaths do make one aware of the transitory nature of our existence. I’m 73 and feeling in pretty good health, but you never know what’s around the corner. It makes me realise that I’d better stop procrastinating and get on and finish my wheel!
Bessler found a way to publish after his death; unfortunately he made it too difficult to interpret his information. I think I'm there but until that blasted wheel materialises its still just empty words.
JC
