Stalking My Memories

So. I think we first off need a warning: this post will deal with death, suicide, depression, and bullying.

Still here? Ok. Here goes!

My facebook feed brought up an obituary this morning.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theday/obituary.aspx?n=kristina-gail-quarto&pid=161291367

I remember Kristy Quarto. We were in classes together in middle and high school, and we went to the same elementary school. It was strange to read this obituary. It doesn't mention her arrogance. It didn't mention how she plagiarized poetry from the internet to be one of the winners in a contest memorializing two kids who'd died in a car accident at our high school - and then went on to win some popularity contest from the local Italian community not two weeks later. It didn't mention how she had the particular curse of so many bright kids; that she needed to tear down others in order to build herself up. She was catty and a bully - I can't speak for anyone else, but she certainly tried to make my middle school days as hellish as possible.

It troubles me what else isn't mentioned. I have never understood why obituaries are overly infused with Thesaurusisms, flowery prose overwhelming any content.

I have no idea what she died from. I suppose many people have this ridiculous phobia of admitting suicide, so that's what I kind of automatically assume is going on when no cause of death is listed. Perhaps there was some unseemly incident involving recreational use of pharmaceuticals, perhaps there's some small town mentality going on where the death itself is ignored in favor of lauding a person's life.

I wish people were more modern with this sort of thing: who this person was, what was important to them, how they died, and who is left behind. None of this flowery tripe about "finally succumbing to" or "has lost the battle against" -- Life is a sexually transmitted disease, and diagnosis is eventually fatal. Let's enjoy what we can while we can, or at least that's how I try to look at it when depression isn't eating me.

I hope she died well, whatever that means to her. I'm not glad she's dead, no matter how she was then. I'm glad I haven't run into her since graduating, since it means I can pretend she did indeed go on, and live a good life, and turn around from what she was and how she approached things.

May we all live up to our obituaries.

How a 10 term Mayor saved his town in Japan

Bah, bad summary, but... just wow.

Ok, so I'm nuts enough to be reading through ursulav's old live journal posts. Yes, all of them. From the beginning in '02.

Yes, I know it's nuts.

Why? Good question. I'm not sure? Best guess: I love her writing, and there's some profound and hilarious things in there. AND the comments are fascinating.

But. I really must stop this urge to add every other entry into my memories. Even if it IS freaking awesome and laugh out loud quality stuff.

Right?

Right.

But in the meantime, damn, she's educational, too. They use rats to find landmines. Who knew?