Nantucket: A Study in Contrasts A Year Later

Last year I posted my first blog entry, entitled "Nantucket: A Study in Contrasts" on August 19 after receiving inspiration from the first Nantucket demo derby I've ever attended. The contrast of the wealthy seasonal visitors in their designer apparel strolling Main Street with the locals sitting on the old couches in their pickup trucks watching the annual demo derby out at Tom Nevers Field was a great beginning for a blog about life here on Nantucket.

Almost a year later, I find myself writing once again about contrasts but in a much different way. This week the island of Nantucket experienced its fifth teen suicide within an 18 month period of time, just two weeks before a new school year is scheduled to begin. This time it was a recent graduate of the local high school who took his own life. His body was found in the state forest. At the end of the month he was to have begun classes at Pratt Institute of Art in Manhattan with a $3,000 scholarship awarded at the June graduation ceremonies.

The interdenominational memorial service was held on Wednesday. Though I hadn't attended any of the services for the other suicide victims--the 15-year old Nantucket High School male who died in February 2007; the 20-year old male, who had grown up on Nantucket and who died in Maine in September 2007; the 17-year old Nantucket High School female, who committed suicide in October 2007; or the 16-year old Nantucket High School male, who died at home in January 2008--I did attend this youth's service since it was being held at our church and Craig was singing in the choir.

Before going to the church for the afternoon service, I took the opportunity to run some errands while I was downtown. Main Street was once again packed with daytrippers and seasonal residents, as it is every August, the prime month of the summer, when the merchants generate their biggest profits for the year to sustain them through the slow times of the off season. I would suspect that 95% of the tourists on Main Street had no idea that the community was getting ready to gather a block away on Orange Street at the Unitarian Church to mourn yet another teen's senseless death.

As time drew near for the service to begin, I made my way through the crowds on Main Street up the hill toward the church. As I edged closer, I observed the clusters of utterly sad teenagers who were gathering to say goodbye to their friend, who had lived on the island his entire life. Instead of sending him off to a promising future in the world of art and architecture in New York, here they were bidding him a final farewell. The sadness in the air was overwhelming and was even more pronounced as I entered the church, where every seat was being filled. A ring of standing students and parents circled the pews.

The contrast between the revelry of Main Street and the solemness of the church setting indoors was striking. It was simply beyond description. What this community has gone through with what experts are calling a "contagion" of suicides is unlike anything I've ever experienced.

As the new school year begins, the Nantucket year-round community is cautiously optimistic that a corner has been turned on this problem. Preventative programs are being put into place and other measures are being implemented that will hopefully put an end to this unfortunate outbreak before the bleakness of winter sets in. For now, however, the community is still reeling.