Hi Guys.
“I’m wearing this tonight.”
I remember my friend Jon saying those words. It was a year ago this Friday. We had just opened the first box of TWLOHA shirts. We were in south Florida for a Switchfoot show. Florida Atlantic University. Sold out show. 2500 people. Band Marino opening, on about eight hours notice. At the time, the shirts were a simple attempt to help a friend. I had ordered a few dozen. No plans of becoming a non-profit organization. It was simply an attempt to tell a story, to share something that felt important, and to invite people to help write the ending.
I smiled as Switchfoot’s Jon Foreman took the stage that night, proud to call him both a hero and a friend, and so proud of that new black shirt. Jon mentioned TWLOHA between songs that night. I remember him saying “You can check this out on the internet”, and I remember thinking that no one would know where to find it.
The next morning, I checked this MySpace and there were comments from people who had been to the show the night before. There were friend requests and messages, people saying that they had found hope in the story, people saying that this story, and these struggles, were theirs as well. Some said simply “I want to help”.
That was a year ago Friday. Amazing to think what has happened since, where the shirts have gone – USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Europe, Ireland, Japan, Costa Rica, Singapore, Phillipines… Amazing to think of the conversations they’ve sparked. We’ve heard stories of lives changing, people literally choosing life in those conversations. We’ve heard stories of people taking first steps to recovery, people finding hope, people helping their friends, people dreaming again…
I don’t know the words to describe how much this last year means to me. It has been an amazing journey, so many great things happening, so many surprising doors opening, more every day it seems. I speak for our team in saying that we remain committed to the heart of the matter, to people finding hope and help and inspiration, to friends having honest conversations, the possibility of rescue.
I want to invite you to wear your TWLOHA shirt this Friday, March 30th, as we celebrate one year. Wear your shirt to school or work or wherever you might go… Tell your story… Tell our story. Talk about hope.
Here’s a few other ideas if you’re excited:
1. Take a photo and make it your MySpace pic.
2. Tell friends, post bulletins and blogs.
3. Add a TWLOHA banner to your page.
4. Send us your photos and comments. Take group photos. Do something awesome. Be creative. Tell us what happens.
And how cool is this; we will be in Orlando on Friday, with the Anberlin tour, so it will be a homecoming of sorts, and a birthday party. Let’s take a big group photo at the end of the night, shall we? We’re looking forward to that one.
Thank you beyond words for this last year. Your encouragement and support, your comments and stories, these things keep us going. Thank you to everyone who wears one of these shirts. I’ve said it before, but I really like this idea, this feeling that we’re this surprising gang of hope, united in finding the same something, and smiling whenever people ask “is that a band?”.
Thank you.
jamie
PS: Friday!