Youth suicide attempts rise in Washington: Today So Far

"Kurt Cobain died when I was in sixth grade. We all know how. For many people back then, it was the first time suicide really entered their lives — through headlines. But the first time suicide really registered with me, when I learned what it really meant, was in eighth grade when the chair next to me went empty. Nobody saw it coming or knew why it happened. I knew him for less than a school year, but nonetheless, he was my buddy, a classroom crony. He was a 13-year-old goofball and a joyful presence from about 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. I imagine he was the same for others in our corner of the classroom. At home he was a son and a brother.

Today, he is a memory that still has the power to mess me up. I think that is the difference between headlines and when suicide is up close. I still love listening to Nirvana. But I have trouble opening up my middle school yearbook".