About Tom

I was born on the kitchen table at my

grandmother’s house in Independence, MO, to

which my uncle vowed he would never eat on

that table again. Coincidentally, we moved

shortly after and began our nomadic life.  By the

time I graduated high school, I had attended 10

different schools, lived in 15 different homes, in

4 different states, mostly small towns and farms.  

This upbringing set the stage for my urge to

travel and possibly my sleeping disorders. It was

stressful with each first day at another new

school, laying in bed the night before class,

worrying about having to make new friends…

again.

On the other hand, this early experience prepared me to adjust to new environments, as now I can easily move from place to place, culture to culture, make new friends, and just generally expand my worldview.

To me, You Can't Draft Me; I Join is a logical product of my upbringing.

I enjoy the retired life of Kansas City, living with my wife, and two grown children and granddaughters close by…sometimes too close.