http://twloha.sitecrafting.com/blog/ Latest blog entries from TWLOHA en-us Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:10:22 PST Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:10:22 PST SiteCrafting, Inc. CMS http://www.twloha.com/blog/off-to-woodie-awards-thank/ Hey Guys, The mtvU Woodie Awards are tonight in NYC, a couple hours from now. Some of my favorite bands are nominated - Death Cab for Cutie, Kings of Leon, Phoenix... Ben Gibbard, Zoey Deschanel, Jack White and Pete Wentz will be in the room...  The Woodie Awards are for "artists", which typically means "musicians." Somehow, i'm nominated for the "Good Woodie" award. And since i don't have any songs, it's hard to know how this happened or how it's even allowed. Well, actually, i do know - it's you. It's been our story all along. Your passion, your voice - it's a powerful thing. It can build and move, it can opens doors. Just wanted to say thanks. Thanks for voting, but more, thanks for caring. Thanks for helping us invite people to live a better story. Thanks for helping us introduce people to hope and help and to the possibility that they were never meant to live alone. Thanks for helping us push back at the stigma that says depression and addiction are things we can't talk about.  TWLOHA is a story that i'm proud to be part of. The best stories are the ones that surprise you and inspire you to change. Thanks for all you do to make ours that sort of story. It's my honor to represent you at the Woodie Awards tonight, to get to be there on behalf of people who struggle and people who care.  Since i'm the only nominee who doesn't have any songs, MTV let me pick out the song for my nomination video. i gave it a lot of thought and ended up choosing Switchfoot's "Needle and Haystack Life" from their new album "Hello Hurricane." i'll leave you with a lyric from that song: "No, don't let go Don't give up hope All is forgiven You breathe it in The highs and lows We call it living All is not lost All is not lost Become who you are It happens once in a lifetime" Peace to you tonight. jamie PS: You can watch the Woodie Awards on  Friday, December 4 at 10pm EST on MTV, MTV2, mtvU and Palladia. ... Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:24:00 PST http://www.twloha.com/blog/move-conference-toronto/ December 4th and 5th we will be bringing MOVE to Toronto, ON and we would like to invite you to be a part of it. Our MOVE community conferences are two day events where we look more in depth at some of the issues TWLOHA addresses. It is an effort to begin a conversation that battles stigma and shame with honesty and compassion. Led by professional counselors Aaron and Michelle Moore and some of the TWLOHA staff, attendees will gain a better understanding of what is behind these struggles, what drives them, what recovery looks like and how we can make a difference. Our hope is that you leave encouraged, inspired, and informed. MOVE conferences are done in a limited size, allowing for difficult topics to be presented and discussed in a personal setting which lends to more dynamic interaction between participants and staff. It has been this interaction and format that has made the MOVE conferences impacting for those who have attended. We would love for you to come and join us!Click here for more info on registration. MOVE Community Conference from To Write Love on Her Arms. on Vimeo. ... Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:32:00 PST http://www.twloha.com/blog/some-thoughts-twloha-day/ Hey Guys.Each week, Lindsay from our team sends an email to the entire TWLOHA team. When we open this email, it's a time to reflect on some of the messages and emails that have come in over the last few days. Some of the messages are heavy and hard to read. Others are full of hope and encouragement. Life is both and everything in between. Lindsay sends these messages to remind us of our mission, the heart of the matter. Each week, as we read the messages she includes, we're reminded where this started and we're reminded why we do what we do.Today,  "TWLOHA Day", is one that our team didn't come up with. We don't know a lot about it, to be honest - not sure where it came from or how it spread to so many people. But perhaps that's been true for much of our story - we've seen the best of passion and communication. We've seen people share and build something beautiful together. With today in mind, i want to share one of the messages that Lindsay sent to us yesterday:"My name is Taylor and I am 22 years old. I have been an addict for the past six years of my life and have been looking at getting into rehab for awhile now. I should be checking in sometime this week I am just waiting for my federal aid to come in. I wanted to thank you guys for doing what you do and being there. I haven't personally ever talked to anyone with your organization but my sister heard about it somehow. My sister is 18 years old and has never used a day in her life. Ever since I started using I haven't been there for her and we kind of live two completely seperate lives. We haven't gotten along. Today my sister picked me up from my house and said she had a surprise for me. We went and got love tattooed on our arms. She  has never had a tattoo so this was a big step for her. She started crying, I haven't seen real emotion from my sister in a long long time. She told me what you guys were about and expressed what she has felt about my use and the way I have made her feel. I made a promise to her to stay clean, something I have never said to anyone. Every time I look down at my arm it will remind me of what a commitment my sister has made to me and to helping me stay clean. I just wanted to thank you guys for helping her understand and helping her accept me and not frown upon me. Your organization has really made an impact on both of our lives and I really wanted to express my gratitude." Thank you so much for what you guys do everyday and what your organization will continue to do for so many people, you guys really do save lifes. Thank you so much. All the love and respect in the world."If you decide to write the word "love" on your arm today, please remember the heart of the matter. The goals were never "cute" or "fashion". Our title, "to write love on her arms", was born as a goal and it remains a goal. We're inviting people to fight for their lives and for the lives of their friends. We're inviting people to believe better things. If you want to help us spread the word about hope and help, we would be honored. If you want to tell people that they need other people, that every story matters - again, we would be honored. We say these things because we believe them to be true, and because too many people live alone under other lies.  Let's continue to fight to figure out what this word "love" means. Let's aim for how it looks and how it sounds - maybe something like humility and confidence and kindness, maybe honesty and compassion... We're in all these things together. It's bigger than cute and louder than fashion. Thanks always for your support.You matter very much.jamie and the entire TWLOHA teamPS: Switchfoot is performing on Jimmy Kimmel tonight.PS2: If you're anywhere near NYC, then we would love to see you at 1:30pm tomorrow (Friday) at Washington Square Park in Manhattan, for a very special photo shoot. Feel free to email nyc@twloha.com if you have any questions. ... Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:29:00 PST http://www.twloha.com/blog/nyc-photo-shoot-changed-to/ Hey Guys,We posted a blog a couple days ago inviting anyone who could make it to NYC this Saturday for a photo shoot. You can read the full blog here. Here's the update: Due to weather this weekend, the NYC photo shoot has been moved to Friday (11/13). The plan is 1:30pm at Washington Square Park. Meet at the Arch!There's a form you need to fill out if you want to participate in the shoot. If you send an email to nyc@twloha.com, we'll send you the form.Here's the fine print: You don't get paid and your name won't appear in the magazine. But there's a chance you will get to be part of a group photograph that will appear in the magazine.We're excited to have you be a part of this and hope you can make it out. ... Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:16:00 PST http://www.twloha.com/blog/youre-invited-to-be-part-1/ We believe in stories. TWLOHA is perhaps a lot of things but among those, it's the story of a story that grew to be something more. Along the way, we've been given the opportunity to talk about things that millions struggle with but few talk about. It's a story of secrets shared and conversations over coffee and why songs matter. We've seen surprising doors open and most importantly, we've seen people find hope and help. Another surprising door has opened... We can't reveal all the details but we would like to invite you into it: A well-known photographer is taking some pictures next Saturday in New York City. The pictures are for a story that a magazine is doing on TWLOHA. The magazine is a pretty special magazine and it's safe to say that the story is a big one. They want to take a picture of me and i asked if i could invite you and they said okay. It's going to happen in Manhattan. We don't know exactly where or what time just yet but we will know those details soon. There's a form you need to fill out if you want to participate in the shoot. If you send an email to nyc@twloha.com, we'll send you the form and we'll send you the info (when/where) as well.  Here's the fine print: You don't get paid and your name won't appear in the magazine. But there's a chance you will get to be part of a group photograph that will appear in the magazine. Also, we will hang out and we will drink hot chocolate. Hope to see you Saturday in NYC. More info soon. Again, nyc@twloha.com is the address to write to if you're interested in being part of the photo shoot. Peace to you. jamie PS / Update: The shoot will take place this Saturday at 12 NOON in Washington Square Park.  ... Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:02:00 PST http://www.twloha.com/blog/jamie-talks-woodie-awards/ Jamie talks Woodie Awards, gets a sweet pair of headphones and has a tough time introducing himself... ... Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:01:00 PDT http://www.twloha.com/blog/side-by-side-we-walked/ When we woke up to get ready for the Out of the Darkness Walk in Cocoa Beach, it was still dark outside.  We loaded up in the van to go to the park. The walk was sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.  We checked in and met Angela, the woman who organized the walk for our area.  She wore a button on her shirt with a smiling young woman with long auburn hair on it.  It’s her sister Carla—she died by suicide two years ago.  Today, her family walked for her. We did too.  Memory boards covered one picnic table.  It was a place for attendees to write special messages to friends and family lost to suicide. This is a message to a father: The picture you see below is of TWLOHA's contribution to these memory boards. This year we received donations from friends and families in memory of these loved ones. We hold them and their families close to our hearts. We walked in their honor and on behalf of their loved ones.  Before beginning the walk, Angela gathered everyone together.  She shared the story of her sister’s long battle against depression.  She talked about how important it is that we reach out to others, to make it real when we say “you are not alone.”  She stressed the importance of medication and therapy.  She said her family wanted to do this walk in an effort to help people like their sister.  With a group of no more than thirty-five people, together, we set out to walk three miles, half on the sidewalk along the road, half on the beach.  The sun had been rising in the sky, and the light was erasing the darkness.We walked for the memories. We walked for the families. We walked for the names on our banner posted to the memory board.  We walked for the woman on the beach who lost her brother to suicide. We walked with the family who lost their father two months ago. We walked with the woman who lost her father thirteen years ago to suicide, who attempted to take her own life seven years ago.  We walked so that we don’t forget. We walked because we are all connected. We walked to let our stories come together, to tell a greater story of hope. Yes, we walked for HOPE. It was an honor to be a part of such an intimate setting, walking with such a freshness of healing.  We are grateful to have been there, to literally walk through this with people in our community. We entered the walk among strangers, and left with friends, left with people who truly cared for one another, left with encouragement that we are doing the right thing. We left in the light. so much love. whitney fall 09 intern ... Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:47:00 PDT http://www.twloha.com/blog/good-news-lets-win-woodie/ Hey Guys, Exciting news and quite the surprise: We found out this week that TWLOHA founder Jamie Tworkowski has been nominated for a 2009 mtvU Woodie Award - it's the "Good Woodie" award and he's up against Alicia Keys, John Legend, Wyclef Jean, Kenna and Ra Ra Riot. According to MTV, the Good Woodie "is the award for the artist whose commitment to a social cause has effected the greatest change this year." - CLICK HERE TO VOTE NOW! - Keep voting - there's no limit to how many times you can vote between now and Nov. 16 - Help spread the word (tell, talk, blog, tweet, etc) - Add this banner to your MySpace page: Add this banner to your page: <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/woodieawards/2009/good-woodie/" target="new"><img src="http://www.twloha.com/files/library/woodiestbanner.gif" width="500" height="100" border="0" /></a> - Click here to add the "Vote" twibbon to your Twitter default. - Add the Woodie background to your Twitter page. As Jamie said, we're here because of your voice and your support. It means more than you know - thanks for being incredible. Chris ... Sat, 10 Oct 2009 09:24:00 PDT http://www.twloha.com/blog/love-you/ Today, while reading the liner notes for The Avett Brothers new album, i came across a mission statement.  Non-profits are supposed to have mission statements but i'd never seen one from a band.  The words are meant to explain some other words, the album's brave title, "I and Love and You". i found it all brilliant and wanted to share it with you. Peace to you. jamie "The words "I" and "Love" and "You" are the watermark of humanity. Strung together, they convey our deepest sense of humility, of power, of truth. It is our most common sentiment, even as the feeling of it is so infinitely uncommon: each to proclaim these three words with his or her very own heart and mindset of reason (or lack thereof); a proclamation completely and perfectly new each time it is offered. Uttered daily and nightly by millions, the words are said in an unending array of circumstances : whispered to a newborn in a mothers arms; shared between best friends on the playground; in the form of sympathy - said by a girl to a boy, as the respect continues but the relationship does not. It is said too loudly by parents to embarassed children in the company of their friends, and by grown children - to their fading parents in hospital beds. The words are thought in the company of the photograph and said in the company of the gravestone. It is how we end our phone calls and our letters... the words at the bottom of the page that trump all those above it, a way to gracefully finish a message, however important or trivial, with the most meaningful gifl of all : the communication of love. And yet the words themselves have been the victims of triviality, a ready replacement for lesser salutations among near strangers, burst forth casually as "love ya." Truly? To what degree? Why, how much, and for how long? These are questions befitting of the stature of love, though not the everyday banter of vague acquaintance. The words have also been twisted by the dark nature of deceit : To say "I love you" with a dramatic measure of synthetic emotion; a snare set by those who prey uponn fellow humanity, driven to whatever selfish end, to gain access to another's body, or their money, or their opportunity. In this realm, the proclamation is disgraced by one seeking to gain rather than to give. In any case, and by whatever inspiration, these words are woven deeply in to the fibers of our existence. Our longing to hear them from the right place is maddeningly and simultaneously our finest strength and our most gentle weakness.The album "I and Love and You" is inashamedly defined by such a dynamic of duality. As living people, we are bound by this unavoidable parallel. We are powerful yet weak, capable yet temporary. Inevitably, an attempt to place honesty within an artistic avenue will follow suit. This is a piece which shows us as we are : products of love surrounded by struggle. The music herein is, in many ways, readable as both a milestone and an arrival. A chapter in the story of young men, it bridges the space between the uncertainty of youth and the reality of it's release. The record is full with the quality of the question and response. As far as questions go, there are plenty-normally residing within the tone and delivery of the lyrics themselves, which, ironically, are sung with so much confidence. Among songs and thoughts so driven and purposeful, the most basic relatable doubt comes through with a resounding clarity. Outside of the eternal theme of romantic love, the album speaks thankfully upon a landscape of light-filled rooms, word-filled pages, time machines, forgiveness, singing birds, ocean waves, art, change, confessions of shortcomings, and reasons to continue on. Hope and a cause for smiling follow naturally. In the midst of all this, there are allusions to the less-than-ideal conditions of life : the loss of memory, the inability to control temper, insecurity, indecision, jaded indifference, and the general plague of former and current weakness. "I and Love and You" is an album of obvious human creation, chracterized by it's best and it's worst. Emotional imperfection is a reality for those who recorded the piece, just as it is for those who will hear it. The conclusion of the song from which the title is taken admits that the words "I love you" have become "hard to say". And perhaps that difficulty is as common as it's counterpart. Perhaps the inability to say these heaviest of words is as much a part of life as the lighthearted candor of those who say them without any difficulty at all. And so it ends with the phrase whispered to and by those of us most defeated and most elated... I and love and you."  - The Avett Brothers  PS: You can hear "I and Love and You" (the song) along with new songs from Paramore, Switchfoot, Paper Route, Athlete, Ryan Adams and Noah Gundersen on our MySpace playlist. We just added these today... ... Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:34:00 PDT http://www.twloha.com/blog/live-webcast-from-twloha-hq/ We were going to post a blog today. Instead, we decided to try something a little different. The image below is an attempt to include you in the process. (click image to enlarge) We hope you guys can make it. We hope that you might even go as faras to get together with friends and with family and watch together. Ultimately, we hopethat when the cameras turn off, you keep talking.Click here to watch the live webcast on October 5th at 8PM EST. Music by Damion Suomi and Andy Zipf. To join the conversation, send all questions and comments via Twitter by starting your Tweets with @TWLOHA. You can also help promote the webcast by posting the banner below on your page or making it your profile picture. Add this banner to your page:<a href="http://img43.imageshack.us/i/webcastslide3.jpg/"><img src="http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/194/webcastslide3.jpg" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" border="0" /></a> ... Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:28:00 PDT http://www.twloha.com/blog/what-would-you-say-what-1/ Hey Guys. A few months back, i got the chance to spend a couple hours with Mike Shea in New York City. Mike is the founder of Alternative Press Magazine and we had a good time getting to know each other over lunch in Union Square and a long city stroll. Mike and i swapped stories about AP and TWLOHA and music and mutual friends and all sorts of stuff. Somewhere in there, we talked about ways to work together and he asked if i had any ideas. i told him that i would love to write... He asked what i'd want to write about and i told him i wasn't sure but that i'd love to be honest and that i'd do my best to challenge people and encourage people. i told him that basically, TWLOHA is an attempt to get to the heart of things, to remind people that they're alive and that life is worth living and perhaps that there are things that need to be said and things we're supposed to fight for.Well... My first article for AltPress went up today and i'd love for you to check it out. (i must warn you that it's a little bit spicy...) Our hope is that if the response to the online article is good, then they may invite me to write for the (print) magazine.  If you dig the article, feel free to comment, let AP know, etc.  Thanks for walking with me as the journey continues.Click here to check out the article on AltPress.comPeace to you from NYC, where Fall is starting to happen.: )jamie ... Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:52:00 PDT http://www.twloha.com/blog/today-we-join-you-in/ The world changed on September 11, 2001 and with that, we are the 9/11 generation. We will tell our kids and our grandkids where we were and what we saw and what we felt. For most of us, it was something that we watched on television but for others, it was the day they lost more than peace and comfort. The reality is that a lot of people lost fathers and sisters and sons. We can build back the buildings but we can't replace the lives that were lost on 9/11.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who lost loved ones eight years ago today. We're sorry beyond words for the people that you lost. Today, we join you in remembering. Peace to you. jamie ... Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:13:00 PDT http://www.twloha.com/blog/today-world-suicide-prevention-day/ What comes to mind when you hear the words "Suicide Prevention"?Is it really possible to prevent suicide?We know it isn't simple. We know it isn't easy. But we do believe in hope and we do believe in help, and we believe that people need other people. And if those ideas are real and true, then we believe that it is possible to prevent suicide.And we don't think it's a work only for the experts. We believe there's a part for all of us to play, that perhaps suicide prevention begins in countless simple miracles every single day. Perhaps it starts with two friends sitting down for coffee... And one of them asks "How are you doing". Perhaps it starts when we choose to live less alone, when we choose to let people in - to know us, to love us, to walk alongside us. Call it "community" or call it the way things are supposed to be. We're willing to say that suicide prevention starts there - it starts when we're willing to talk, willing to ask the hard question, willing to say the honest thing. Maybe the bravest move we'll ever make it to ask for help. Or ask how we can help someone we love. Maybe it starts when we push back at the stereotype and the lies that fuel the stigma that says pain is something we're not allowed to talk about, or that pain is for people a certain age who dress a certain way and like a certain song. Those are lies. The truth is that pain is part of being human. The questions will continue to come. We all get stuck in moments. The good news is that there is also hope and love and change. The good news is that we were meant for friends. The good news is counseling and treatment. The good news is that we don't have to go alone. "Suicide Prevention."  What's your part to play? We're all invited. Smile at someone, know someone, say something, ask the question, make the call, take the drive.  Every life is priceless and fragile. We get to guard and fight and care, for the people around us.  There are plenty of things to fight about and for over the course of our lives - let's remember that people are the most important thing, the brightest surprises on the planet. Let's remember that every single person has a story entirely unique and incredibly important, but not everyone can see it. And what a privilege that we get to do our best to remind and invite people, to believe better things, to believe that it's possible to change, to believe that life is worth living...We're not saying that it's easy. But we're saying that it's worth it. Love is the movement. Thank you for caring.jamieClick here for more info on World Suicide Prevention Day.For more info and statistics on suicide from the World Health Organization, click here ... Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:52:00 PDT http://www.twloha.com/blog/you-are-going-to-move/ More importantly, I love you. YOU ARE GOING TO MOVE THROUGH THIS.  Don't be defeated. Submit yourself to the process. You are growing. You are changing. You are doing LIFE.  I am not trying to make you feel better. This fucking hurts, and there are no two ways around it. But I am trying to encourage you to not retreat. I can't remove the pain, but I am going to hold your hand while it hurts. Continue to reach out. You need people right now.  I'm here for anything you need. You are LOVED in ways you cannot imagine. In ways that don't depend on you. In ways that don't depend on your performance. In ways that cannot be lost. Remember Remember Remember.  Love you my friend.- Anonymous  ... Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:35:00 PDT http://www.twloha.com/blog/united-kingdom-greenbelt-festival/ Hey Guys.Our friend Stuart was here last week, visiting from Glasgow, Scotland. He spent a few days with our team, helping us daydream about the future of TWLOHA in the United Kingdom. Stuart will be working with our friend Olivia to make some things happen there very soon. Keep an eye on www.twloha.com for details.On that note, we're excited to announce that TWLOHA will have a booth at Greenbelt Festival, where our friends in Athlete are among the headliners. Greenbelt is happening this weekend in England. There will be TWLOHA info and merch available, and we hope you'll say hello to Olivia from our team. Also, if you're interested in getting involved, Olivia would be a great person to connect with. Festival Info: Greenbelt Festival Cheltenham Racecourse Evesham Rd,  Prestbury, Cheltenham, GL50 4SH, United Kingdom Website: http://www.greenbelt.org.uk/ Tickets: https://shop.greenbelt.org.uk/tickets/ Peace to you, Jamie ... Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:12:00 PDT http://www.twloha.com/blog/twloha-university-chapters/ Hello everyone, My name is Denny and I am the TWLOHA UChapter Coordinator. I have been a TWLOHA staff member for 1 1/2 years. Last fall, the idea was created to develop TWLOHA student-lead organizations on university campuses, beginning in the United States. This fall, the idea is being realized when 14 colleges will be representing TWLOHA as the first ever TWLOHA UChapters.  All of this is very exciting for our team. We believe TWLOHA UChapters is part of the future in causing real, tangible change in community settings at a local and global level. Not one movement has occurred in the U.S. without college students being at the forefront, protesting change and interacting with culture in a new way, forcing even the government to listen. If stigmas, which represent a form of contemporary slavery, are going to be overthrown and replaced by a new regime of honesty and openness on university campuses (and beyond), there must be a voice from within the university body. The voice must be provocative and creative, growing from within the lives of students who care. To be honest, we don't know where this will go and we don't know exactly what change to expect or how this change will look. We do know there are students who have gifts and desires that MUST be used as leverage against a society that struggles to find places of honesty and understanding. So in many ways, UChapters is TWLOHA's response to the response of students. Essentially, UChapters are groups on college campuses who embody the values which underlie TWLOHA's vision and mission. They will reflect TWLOHA, therein imaging the heart of TWLOHA. Each UChapter will serve on their college campus and within their local community. Through building community, we believe UChapters can organize gatherings, cultivate awareness, and create a network that actively raises funds and reaches people with a message of hope and help.Personally, I have tasted this hope and help that can only be found in community. I know what it feels like to move from death to life and then to use the brokenness as a source of redemption for others. Universities are filled with brokenness and stories of hope that must be reconciled. It is estimated that more than 1,000 U.S. college students die by suicide each year. Death by suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. 1 in 12 have created a suicide plan. 90% had a psychiatric disorder at the  time of death; 60% of those having severe depression. 10% of college students have been diagnosed with depression disorder, the majority of which never receive treatment. Yet in the face of these despairing figures, since 1994, suicide rates among 15-24 year olds has decreased 28.5%. We believe TWLOHA UChapters will be a means to even more change. With 15 UChapters already launching this fall, we hope to launch another 15 for the spring. If you are a college student, or are about to be one, and desire to either connect with an established UChapter on your campus or help start one, you can email chapters@twloha.com and we will send you further information. Below is the list of active UChapters for this fall:    1. Columbia College, Chicago 2. University of South Alabama3.  Bloomsburg University, Pennsylvania 4.  University of Northern Iowa5.  Ithaca College, New York6.  South East Missouri State University 7.  Texas Tech University 8.  Oklahoma State University 9.   University of Texas-Austin10. Manchester College, Indiana 11. UMASS-Lowell, Massachusetts12. University of Florida 13. Miami University, Ohio14.  Virginia Commonwealth UniversityWith Hope,  Denny ... Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:21:00 PDT http://www.twloha.com/blog/new-video-pro-surfer-cj/ Professional surfer C.J. Hobgood (currently ranked #2 in the world, his twin brother Damien is #5) grew up with TWLOHA founder Jamie Tworkowski in Brevard County, FL. In this video, C.J. talks about his own struggles and what he's found in beginning to invite other people into his story. He talks about his connection to TWLOHA and why he believes in the mission of the organization. Pro Surfer C.J. Hobgood from To Write Love on Her Arms. on Vimeo. ... Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:32:00 PDT http://www.twloha.com/blog/damion-suomi-plays/ Here's a great video of our friend Damion Suomi talking about his music and where he's been and where he's going. Damion has been a friend of ours for a long time and it's an exciting thing to watch a friend come back to hope. Find Damion at damionsuomi.com ... Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:23:00 PDT http://www.twloha.com/blog/family-headed-west-on-right/ There is a family headed west on I-10 right now. This is for them... Part of it was the place, this Canaveral condo, this house so much a home. i remember sitting with Byron in this living room five years ago, me on the couch and him on the chair across from me, me there and filled with questions, always bringing him my pain, because he would listen, because he was brilliant but more because he cared. i remember him listening for an hour, me talking through my tears... Eventually, in a quiet moment, he shared that he had some news of his own. His girlfriend Amanda was pregnant. They had been close to breaking up but now she was pregnant with his child. i remember not knowing what to say but finally asking how he felt and i remember him saying that people make mistakes but maybe God does not.  Isabella Pearl was born some months later, her middle name a picture of redemption. There was no shotgun wedding, no cheap whispered promises... only questions and patience and pain and hope. It was an uncertain season. The wedding did eventually come, some more months later, after time apart, after time together, after all their searching. He flies to Boston, they drive to New York, he takes a knee on the Brooklyn Bridge, asks for her forever. On the same trip, he has coffee with a man he respects, a man he's met only once before. Byron talks about his life, this surprising season, the reason he's in town. After an hour together, the man says "i feel like i'm supposed to give you this." The guy hands Byron an envelope, Byron opens it two hours later at the airport. Two thousand dollars. (There are people who invest in stocks and there are people who invest in stories.) The wedding came when they were ready, when the promise could be true, for love is a choice much more than it's magic. They moved the couch out of the living room and got married with the sliding glass door open, next to sea and under stars on a New Years Eve. i said a few words, about not knowing who i would be without his friendship. i can't remember if i said it but i hope i said that i believe in their story.  Baby Eve is born. Byron takes a job with TWLOHA, first as an assistant, soon as our Director of Operations. He shines. It's hard to tell his life from his work from his dreams. i mean that in the best way. We rent a bungalow. Interns begin to arrive. They watch football at his house. They eat dinner at his house. Baby Eden is born. i could say other things, that we ended up on different pages for a time, that i am difficult to work for, that i am not the healthiest person. It's hard to navigate the waters of ego, pain and pride. It's hard to have a single honest relationship - easier to say "community" from a stage, easier to be busy than known. We hurt each other. We let each other down. Some weeks go by. Weeks with silence. We're both offended. He decides it's time to move on. He quits a good job in an economy where people don't quit jobs, where people don't make choices because they believe in them, because they live one time and want to do it well... He and i are fine now. Time has a way of putting things back where they belong. Love has a way of breaking the silence. There is a bigger story... And so a new chapter, this family headed north and west today, to make a home in New Orleans. To give themselves to a city as it comes back to life, to raise the girls in a place filled with history and poverty and diversity, to be part of a bigger story.  Byron is going back to school. His is that brilliant mind that will never stop asking questions, never stop learning. There is not a lot of money, not a certain plan. Oh and Amanda is pregnant again. ("You're kidding me" and "No way" have been common responses.) We said goodbye last night. This is the guy who introduced me to my favorite band, the guy who taught me it was okay to ask the questions you aren't supposed to ask, to say the honest thing, to be creative. He suggested that there are things more valuable than money, that maybe people matter most. He talked about the value of a place, a good idea, something true inside a moment or a song...  It crossed my mind to play it cool. i cried about it last week, broke down in front of a room full of people - our entire team and even some strangers - it would be easier not to cry. Besides, everyone else said their goodbyes without crying. i'm 29 years old. i should have my shit together by now. i should be able to say goodbye without crying. i should be able not to need people. Or maybe this is okay, maybe this is the way that i was made, to feel things, to say things. i don't know. i just know that i started to walk away and then i stopped. And we've been down this road enough, done enough life together, that neither one of us had to say anything.  He told me once that he believed friendship might be life's greatest gift. What an amazing thing to feel known and loved, to feel understood, to walk through life with another person. i remember that it all felt true when he said it and i know that it has stayed with me.  i eventually told him through tears that he will leave a great space, that things won't be the same, that he can't be replaced. He said the words meant a lot, because it's something we can't tell ourselves, what we mean to other people. We hope we do but it's powerful to hear it, significant to hear it.  i forget which one of us said it first but we have agreed and said for years now that there are things in life worth crying about. (We added to this list: things worth screaming about, questions worth asking, trips worth taking...) It was true last night and i suppose it's true in this moment.  i don't have a magical ending except to say that i hope you get to experience this sort of friendship, this gift that Byron talked about, this thing that's like a miracle. i hope you get to say these things and hear these things. i hope you get front row seats for a story as good as Byron and Amanda's. And part of me hopes, for you and for myself, that you get to live that sort of story.  New Orleans is a better place today. Peace to you. jamie PS: New Music from our friends: Beggars by Thrice (iTunes only) Spain by Between the Trees The Rising by David Hodges (iTunes only) i am currently full-blown obsessed with these two songs:  Along the Wall by Leigh Nash In Exile by Thrice ... Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:16:00 PDT http://www.twloha.com/blog/we-came-mary-1/ This past Saturday, I got to experience my very first Warped Tour! A few of us from the office and a couple interns travelled down to West Palm Beach to meet up with our Warped team so we could meet supporters and get a taste of life on the road. We ended up staying the night after we packed up that day, spending time with some of the other members of our team that night. Sunday we slept in, got to hang-out poolside at our hotel and eat ice cream (a very fun, girly get-away). While we were laying in the sun, Jamie’s younger sister Jessica rolled onto her side and began to tell Lindsay (our Intern Coordinator) and me the story of a woman named Mary. I was on the edge of my seat, drawn into this woman’s story with tears in my eyes and goosebumps all over my skin. You know those moments you hear a story of truth and love and know that it’s real and that it tells a greater story? That’s Mary’s story. Lindsay told Jess she needed to write about her experience, and Jess responded by laughing, saying, “Jamie’s the writer in this family, not me.” I told her that she absolutely needed to write it, and that I would help her with the tricky grammar stuff (which, wasn’t much). We all have stories to tell, and I knew that Jess’ story would resonate with each of you. So, enjoy. Love. Kaitlyn  --- There is a reason and purpose for every festival or event we do. Sometimes we know the reason in advance. Sometimes we have to do a little searching. Other times that reason finds us. Last Saturday was your typical summer afternoon in Florida, hot and muggy in the morning and a downpour in the afternoon. Music was blaring from the Kevin Says Stage not far from where we were set up. People embraced the rain and started dancing, or they ran for shelter under one of the tents nearby. As the rain started, a woman came up to our tent and asked what we did. Over the noise of the rain and the loud music, I leaned forward so she could hear me; I told her about all of the issues we were there to raise awareness about. Immediately her eyes filled with tears. Something I said hit home. Was it the word suicide? Was it the word depression? I walked around the table and immediately hugged her. I didn’t know what she had been through. All I knew is that she was the reason we were there. We came for Mary. Through her tears, she then told me her brother had committed suicide six weeks ago. In addition, her sister has been struggling with self-injury by burning herself. Since she had never heard of TWLOHA before, I asked her what made her approach our booth. She said that she read the top of our tent. She read the words, TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS, and said all she knew is that she wanted that for her sister.  A funny sounding phrase for most made all the sense in the world to her. She asked where our name came from. She asked if Renee was still alive today, and the moment I told her “yes” gave her all the reason in the world to keep fighting for her sister. I heard her tell her friend that if Renee was okay then one day her sister could be okay too. I don’t think Mary came to Warped Tour thinking she’d find hope or a group of people already fighting the fight she’d been struggling with the last six weeks. I’m not really sure why she went. I know why we went though. We went for her. We went to give her hope through conversation, through resources, through information we had available. And we’ll continue to go to events for Mary, for people with a story all their own, for you. Your story matters. And you are loved in this moment. Jessica  : ) ... Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:15:00 PDT http://www.twloha.com/blog/response-to-self-injury-on/ This is a response to the most recent episode of MTV’s Real World Cancun.   We were made aware of this particular episode through an email received earlier today. Members of our team watched last night’s Real World Cancun episode, in which Ayiiia self-injures after a season of arguments and a difficult living situation with her roommates. Since watching, we’ve read over the messages coming from MTV viewers, e-mails, and Twitter. It’s easy to watch a show and feel like you know a person, feel like your opinion about what’s going on in their world is easily solvable and can be fixed by simply “cheering up.” After I watched the episode online, I viewed a couple of the responses by other members of the show, and it was so clear to me that hurtful responses towards people struggling with self-injury are not ok, but sometimes, they’re the only way we know to respond. What the MTV producers did really well with this episode was bring to light the way we have a chance to respond during confusing, painful moments in the lives of those we do life with. I think that Chloe, one of our TWLOHA team members, said it best when she said that when faced with an issue they don’t understand, like self-injury, people can either antagonize, sympathize or become apathetic. Each of these responses was evidenced in the Real World episode. We want to say that we see the confusion. We see Ayiiia’s pain, and we see the frustration of her roommates who don’t understand why she chooses to respond by hurting herself. We understand the confusion these issues carry, and we want to say that striving to understand them is important. If you saw this episode and it was hard to watch, or triggering, we are sorry. If seeing Ayiiia in her place of pain reminded you of a place you’ve come from or a place you’re currently struggling with, we are sorry. However, in the same way it hurts us to see pain broadcasted into homes on TVs and computer screens, it cannot be denied that it forces the world to see the reality of these issues, that they exist, and that they happen. This is the real world we live in. Ayiiia later confessed in an interview that prior to the Real World she had only shared with two friends about her self-injury. Her vulnerability in sharing herself with every Real World viewer reminds us of the power our stories hold, and the role they play in breaking silence, entering dark places and helping us feel less alone.  We’ve been in touch with some friends over at MTV and we’re working to help in any way that we can. We want to be available in helping people find help and new resources in their moments of pain.  Love. Kaitlyn Oh—and on an exciting side note, Jamie just boarded a plane and is currently flying across the United States to California to attend the US Open of Surfing with a few other members of our team. This is a big moment for TWLOHA, and it’s a chance for us to connect in new ways with the surfing community, which many members of our team grew up in. ... Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:19:00 PDT