Update on Week 1 progress: Amazing Goodness All Around
Original Post
In the morning, Tom was a multimillionaire. By night he was homeless and broke. He’s still wealthy because his tribe loves him. He’s doing fine to reset life. His state-of-the-art electronics lab he had to repair equipment worth hundred thousand dollars each burned in the Superior fire.
Tom escaped with no wallet, no money, no phone, and no computer. If he had advance warning, he could have walked out with half million dollars in electronics gear he could have sold right away.I spent the day with him.
Tom is inspirational even in this challenge. “These are the times that define you. I relish these times. Adversity,” he said. No complaints; motivated to restart. His trusted friends and clients have offered him a place to live and promised to find him opportunities to earn a living.He got all this love by setting the right expectations and delivering more than he promised. He earned trust. He gave money, loaned equipment, and gifted tools for others to do better. His generosity earned him kindness. Tom did not just do good work, he did it to perfection. He got to be known as a genius for the time and frequency instrumentation repairs. He went the extra mile to learn and validate his skills and knowledge.
The financial crisis is already moving into his rear-view mirror even before he really grasps the full and total loss of all he had. No belt, toothbrush, shoes, socks, shaver, clothing, phone, laptop…you get the picture.In 2022, be like Tom.
When I read this draft to Tom for permission to post this blog, he said he felt embarrassed but was glad that his story may spark some inspiration for readers.
Earn love. Wealth will follow. How can it not? In time, I will update this post to show how Tom’s life will rebound because money will chase him. Money will come because he is good. Not because he chased it.
Progress: Week 1
Tom slept at my home with doors open so that I could hear him breathe. The first two nights, he did not sleep well. Keeping a watch was important to see that he did not slip into a depression. For two days we went shopping for clothes, personal items, and favorite snacks, went on walks, and spent time at the dinner table listening to Tom’s hopes, dreams, and aspirations, past and future. These were simultaneously heartbreaking and inspirational.
On Jan 2nd, we visited his home. All that’s left is a well of charred and mangled metal. All racks of test and measurement equipment are totally destroyed. Nothing remains. Nothing but burnt steel and ash.
The reality is hitting home for Tom that all his national cycling championship jerseys, medals, and memories are gone. His memories of martial arts tournaments and second-press CDs, his super hifi professional grade audio equipment from top music scientific labs is burned, and the champion of tools who never not-liked a new tool, has no tool at all. He forgot that he could no longer store his digital files on his two 10 Terabyte disks. It is no longer easy for him to make the once a month supply of his favorite cashew-honey-chili concoction that he cooks for 24 hours in a convection oven. Our oven is not a convection oven but we now have the incentive to get one. Tom’s now embraced the reality that he has to reinvent his life. He has a champion’s heart. He will shine again in his full light.
A lifetime of goodness and generosity is yielding magic. One brilliant scientist couple have arranged a place for him to live in temporarily. He will still have dinner with me but he will have living quarters of his own. A bicycling master innovator fitted him with a mountain bike, another with a road bike, and Trek is loaning him one to use for now. Another friend, Guy, brought him two bags full of the type of clothes that Tom likes, timeless styles. They fit. The community has risen to care for those in need. On the first day of shopping, the Eddie Bower store on 29th street gifted Tom a warm jacket, the Ampersand Coffee barista gave us coffee on the house, and if we had not already paid, the Costco manager, Kelly would have paid for Tom’s hundreds of dollars purchase when she made him his replacement Costco card. Neptune Mountaineering gave him sporting clothes, Runners Roost gave him a replacement for the brand of shoes he usually wears. And a manager at REI anonymously contributed $1000 to his Go-Fund-Me page.
Tom’s been informing his business contacts about his situation to reestablish connection and restart. One friend loaned him an old iPhone and a very ancient but functional laptop. Some others are exploring ways to find him income opportunities. The scientific community of the time-and-frequency electronics is a very smart and well connected tribe. They will not let Tom sink, I am certain. I have received warm messages from them for being with Tom. The income stabilization might take a little time, but it will happen.
I saved the best for last. Tom’s siblings are rallying for his recovery. They sent him money. His sister even sent me money. One of them set up a Go-Fund-Me page that has raised over $7K in 3 days. The money it raises will not enough to replace Tom’s uninsured $2M precision electronics repair/refurbish/upgrade lab, but it will keep him shielded in the thinking mode to reinvent himself without worry about basic expenses. But the highlight of this week was when two nights ago, Tom lit up because a sibling who had not spoken with Tom for twenty years called and they bonded instantly in a two hour long talk. “If I knew I could have you back in my life by the burning of my home, I would have burned it down years ago,” he said. It was highlight of his week. This crisis also brought goodness along with hardship.
Now for laughter, I gave a haircut to make Top look awesome for his second visit with FEMA. He had shared that his dad would always trick him into a crew-cut by cutting too close to his scalp in some spot that necessitated a close cut. His sister called to tease him about that. When using the clipper, the little cover for the clipper, that ensures that the hair are not cut too close came off. It happened so fast that one side of his head got a very close shave. What his dad did deliberately happened by accident tonight. We laughed uncontrollably. It was a well earned and long overdue laugh. Even my best tonsorial tricks could not salvage the slip up, but in the end it all came out fine. Tom was a good sport about it. We laughed it off and sent a video to his sister. It was the highlight of the day.
Of course, the government…FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency spoke with Tom once. FEMA cautioned him to not expect much, but just the very basics. For two hours tonight, Tom made a sketch of his home and belongings, and in an impressive demonstration of the magic of photographic memory, rattled off the contents of each room, closet, drawer, and corner. It’s the genius of people who are on the high performance spectrum. Tomorrow he has a followup meeting with FEMA for 15 minutes. Maybe we should have saved the haircut for tomorrow. Not even a baseball cap will hide this fiasco?
In the update next week, I hope to see progress on:
1. Finding a stable living situation where Tom can live for at least a year. It needs to be close to the scientific community in South Boulder. One bedroom detached home near NIST.
2. Listing of the essential tools that some of his contacts or scientific labs may loan him for a year so that he can get back on his feet. I should have a list posted here in a week.
3. Returning to his exercise and fitness routines.
If you would like to help Tom rebuild his life, please contribute by clicking here: Go-Fund-Me page for Tom Knox
Reflection Week 1:
By placing ourselves in the eye of the storm, we see and experience the humanity of life. The outpouring of love for Tom is evidence that we humans value goodness and recognize others’ needs, and that we will go out of our way to help. Accompanying a person shaken by unforeseen shock is the opportunity to practice mindfulness and living in the moment. It’s simply not possible to drift away when the stakes are high and a friend has stopped smiling. It is a blessing to have the trust and love of people that they can count and demand your energy in the time of their need. This is an ancient teaching in all lands and faiths. It is true. No amount of money can build a bond of trust.