Too Soon for one of the class of 2011
So - I’m writing this as a way to try and understand the below. It may not make sense as a whole, but some parts may alone.
When I left High School, I was part of the class of 2011. A year that started off with 330 11 year olds enrolling into S1 in 2005, with a subset sticking it out for 6 years to go off to do new things and walk our own paths - not just the guide-railed path given to us by the Scottish Education System.
When you are part of a group, or cohort, or mass of people then there is somewhat benchmarking between everyone. I don’t think its intensional, but its there. So many of us went to Uni, a large factor actually graduated, even less ended up being in a career that is linked to that degree. Then you get into “adulting”: people buying a house, moving abroad for a new job, Marriage then kids. Its all part of growing up. Although I have lost touch with people, you do see the slight tidbit of info of people growing up: not just staying still as the slightly care free S6’s about to go headfirst into the world that I remember people as.
Tonight though, as I write this (November 21st 2022) I believe I have just heard of the first death of a member of the Class of 2011. (Twitter Post from Local Police)
I was in the same form class as Kirsty Miller since S1. We didn’t go to the same Primary School, and to be honest we did not really belong to exactly the same friend group, but we knew each other and we respected each other (I felt). She was friendly, could take a joke and I don’t remember her ever being nasty (even in the expected teenager way).
I remember that she always wanted to be a vet - as in that is the thing that stands out in my head: Kirsty Miller == Vet. When she got into Vet School, I was happy for her - as honestly she was doing something I got the impression she wanted to do and loved:
So Kirsty Miller got in Uni to do Vet Med. Unis - it was way overdue. Anyway, congrats Kirsty!!
— Ryan Adam (@rfadam) May 15, 2012
As I write this, the reports are hazy at best - and the fact I have lost touch with a-lot of people from my High School year (including Kirsty), this hits in a weird way. This is someone I expected to do great things, have no reason to think they could do great things, but is no longer here. I was not close to her (case the point of not seeing alot of these people in 11 years) but this still hits home weirdly. Someone my age, someone who I remember being kind and clever and trying bloody hard at things is no longer here.
My school has never had a 10 year school reunion for my year (perhaps it was covid, we may never know), but Kirsty would of been someone I would of went up to and had a genuine interest in how she got on since leaving High School.
I will never have that chance now, and that’s scary. A life gone.
I can only give my condolences to Kirsty’s family, friends, colleagues and pets at this time.
I cannot even start to understand what they will be feeling and thinking right now, and I really do not wish to try.
One of my final thoughts I have will be of the handprint board we did in the final days of High School. Kirsty’s is in the bottom centre: it is only one that is 3 colours:
