Another Way Home Concert this Friday at SoHo

All:I just wanted you to know that Alex’s sister, Heidi, his Aunt Sue Duggan and I are playing in the concert for Alex this Friday night dubbed “Another Way Home” at the SoHo club in Santa Barbara.We are excited to play and to see Alex’s friends again. It’s also Heidi’s birthday, so this is an even more special night for her. Heidi and Sue and I will perform a song I wrote for the occassion called “Stand Up (There’s Another Way Home),” and Heidi will sing “Angel from Montgomery.” We’re hoping to do one more but have to see what time allows. It is also my hope to have the opportunity to talk about Alex a bit and tell a few Alex stories.

The song “Stand Up” was inspired by an experience Heidi had shortly after Alex’s death. She and her friend Kurt were at a party for their floor hockey buddies, and some fellow showed up already somewhat toasted, announcing, “Let’s get wasted!!” which he proceeded to do. When he started to leave, Kurt STOOD UP off the couch and followed the guy outside. He talked him into staying and sobering up a bit. Heidi was upset when he did leave; she felt he may still not have been sober enough to drive legally. But I told her that the really salient act is that Kurt got up off his duff and tried to stop the guy from driving drunk.

This is what inspired my song. This is the kind of responsibility we need to take for one another — for our friends whom we love, and even for those whom we don’t! If someone had told Jessica and Alex that they were going to call the cops on them if they got into the car that night, Alex would still be alive, and Jessica would not be at the women’s facility in Chowchilla, looking out into the yard and trying to seek courage from the roses growing there.Here are the words:
Stand up for your brother,
Stand up for one another.
Stand up there’s another way home.
Stand up for your sister,
Stand up, show you love her.
Stand up, there’s another way home.
Don’t let him walk out that door tonight.
Don’t let him turn his back on you.
He needs you more than he ever has before.
Do everything that you can do. But you’ve got to

Stand up for your brother,
Stand up for one another.
Stand up there’s another way home.
Stand up for your sister,
Stand up, show you love her.
Stand up, there’s another way home.

Tonight she needs you to fight with her,
More than she ever has before.
Stand up and hold her close to you.
Don’t let her on that one-fifty-four. But you’ve got to

Stand up for your brother,
Stand up for one another.
Stand up there’s another way home.
Stand up for your sister,
Stand up, show you love her.
Stand up, there’s another way home.

And, of course, IT ROCKS!!!
Thank you, Kurt, for the inspiration!
See you all at SoHo, Friday the 13th at 9:00 p.m.

Update on Jessica in Prison

Hi all. I got a letter from Jess today! She is OK. There are roses in the “yard,” and so she has taken a lot of comfort from that as Rose is her middle name, named after my grandma and after the fact that my dear dad, her very close and loving grandpa, raised roses!!

She is intimidated by the “lifers” there. They are harsh and angry and bitter toward the “tourists” like herself who are only visiting, and she specifically asked for prayer regarding her placement, guards and firefighting team. She is just hoping that her being sent to some other facility or place is handled by God and goes well. She has to have all kinds of tests and interviews and is doing so as we speak. They did take her bible away, after all, so she will try to get another.

Anyone who visits has to have a form. She sent some to Kat I think – it takes up to a month to get cleared, so she was hoping someone would get that done. I am mailing mine today but don’t know when I will get to Calif. In some ways it is more comfortable than jail, she said, as it is more anonymous. But she was concerned about her placement, since she was classified as a “violent” criminal. By her tiny print and tone, she is obviously very humbled…also her address sheet got sent to her dad by accident so anyone who writes please put in your address and anyone elses she may need.

Overall she seemed pretty good, apologized for all this trauma for everyone but seemed to feel fairly safe. She has been on the floor since she got there but now has a bunk.

To God….wanted to hear from Steve, the atty, but I don’t have any news as yet.

Take care all and please write, postcards first as they are so fast and then letters, you can send envelopes and separately, stamps, in book or roll form also she can have photos! She said to send ’em!  But no fancy envelopes or anything.

Thanks again and Love,
Melanie