About Tom - Owner
Tom, who has lived in San Diego County the majority of his life, double-majored in Philosophy and Communications Studies at Sonoma State University, and got his law degree from the University of San Diego in 2003, where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the campus newspaper. He has been a civil litigation attorney for 15 years. Tom enjoys taking depositions, where witnesses are examined under oath. He has developed a knack for coming prepared and probing with incisive questions. Tom's empathy, intuition and focus enable him to see the world through his subject's eyes. Tom will be conducting your interview.
HOW ETERNAL ROOTS BEGAN
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In advance of a meeting with Tom's 96-year old grandfather John in January 2016, Tom spontaneously decided to record an interview him and share the video with the family. Grandpa John is always asking about other people, but seldom discusses himself. Frankly, Tom did not know him very well.
The morning of Grandpa John's visit, Tom scribbled pages of notes, but was anxious because he didn't know how Grandpa John would respond to the interview invitation. During the lunch meeting Tom nervously said he would like to take Grandpa to his office and ask some questions about his life... and videotape the process... and create DVDs to share with the family. To Tom's pleasant surprise, Grandpa John was totally open. In fact, he seemed flattered. They went to the office, told the assistant to hold all calls, and closed the door. Thirty minutes into the interview, Grandpa John had to run to catch his train home. Grandpa John really got into it. He thought hard about the interview, and wanted to start all over. Tom preferred to interview Grandpa John from the comfort of his own home, so he came to Grandpa John's house for the next session. Tom wanted to do right by Grandpa John and give him a vehicle to share his life, and Tom wanted to do right by his family and give them a quality, tangible product. Grandpa John discussed growing up in the 1920s, his family origins tracing to the American Revolution, his training as a WWII bomber pilot (he witnessed an A-bomb test), his climb up the corporate ladder in the lumber industry, his marriages, family, and lessons learned. He was totally open and answered everything. At the close of the session Tom took Grandpa John's first selfie (above). He posted it on social media and shared highlights from the interview. Several people responded that they wished they did the same with family members during their lifetimes. It occurred to Tom that he could provide this service to the public. Tom commenced this project with the sole objective of honoring his grandfather. He later realized this service could provide value to others, and this is an opportunity to use his legal acumen for real good. That is how Eternal Roots was born. Grandpa John passed in October 2017 at the age of 98. The original transcribed book was remastered and bound in hardcover, and distributed among the family. The original 3-hour interview was converted into an 18-minute memorial tribute, and screened before the family at his celebration of life. Tom is so grateful to have had this chance to connect. |
This Was Predicted 19 Years Ago!
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When I was a 21-year old college student, my mom took a photo of me to a psychic and they recorded the session. She made a prediction about my future I laughed off, as I was already planning to attend law school. I barely thought about her prediction over the years, but several months after launching Eternal Roots, I suddenly recalled her prediction, and it was chilling. Here is a Facebook Live video I shot one morning where I shared a very personal story about what this project really means to me.
UPDATE: I recently found the cassette tape containing the psychic's reading. The tape has been converted to digital, and the audio will be featured in a video in the future. |