A few weeks ago, surfing the Active Rain net, I landed in Hawaii, reading Randy Prothero's blog post: SO YOU WANT TO BE A REAL ESTATE AGENT. He references Margaret Rome and recommends and links to an order form for her newly published book: Real Estate The Right Rome Way.
I was excited to order the new book, clicked the link and an order form opened up. I filled in the usual blanks, and was then asked if I would like an autographed copy or not. (WHAT? Are you kidding?! This is a question?) And my thoughts simply wandered away...
... far, far away, to Marshall Field & Co in downtown Chicago in the 1960's. Once in a blue moon, my father would take me out of school for a day for what he decided was an "educational" day on the finer things of life (sending me back to school the next day with a sick excuse). Leaving the south side neighborhood of St. Christina's parish behind, we headed out, in our finest, to Michigan and State Avenue, where we set off on an adventure through the many forests floors of this world-famous, iconic department store. A true, fairytale-of-a-day, with his
red carpet of words presented to me each time the elevator door opened up for our entrance to another department. He pointed out all the things I would never see in our cookie-cutter home where about 10 children slept at night. So, before I'd lived a decade, I had learned to appreciate the art and the BEAUTY of beveled glass, bone china, cut crystal, Egyptian cotton, fine linen, solid wood-handled real hairbrushes, Italian leather shoes, silk dresses, and delectable pastries, properly served at The Walnut Room. One afternoon, he kept me huddled in a long line that had formed around a table stacked high with books. Perplexing enough, every book was the same. It took me awhile to put all the pieces together, long after I shook the hand of writer, Virginia Graham who stooped down to greet me as I held on to my father's enthusiasm. So before I was a decade old, I'd been hugely impressed with the autograph my father showed me in the book he proudly carried home. And the photo of Virginia on the book jacket was a face I never forgot. I MET AN AUTHOR!
Sorry about that...back to the online order form I was completing earlier this month. OF COURSE if an 
autograph was offered, OF COURSE that would be a treat! So OF COURSE I selected YES! Then another box appeared for me to enter the text of how I would like it autographed. HUH? Gosh... I had no words except the obvious "To Mara, the best, from Rome"... No, that just wouldn't do. So I entered "surprise me." Less than a week later, my phone rang. "Hello Mara, this is Margaret Rome." "Oh my gosh!" I answered, "the 
lady who wrote the book?!" "I wanted to surprise you," she said. Well, mission begeezus accomplished! I couldn't have been more thrilled with this absolute GIFT of a surprise, enjoying a delightful conversation that blessed me with inspiration and put a 1000-volt charge into my day. I learned she was one of Active Rain's first thousand members (800+), and that she left the first comment on Broker Bryant's first blog---now that is some real history folks! She told me about her days as a ceramic artist, and how she, too, became an unintentional Realtor. She told me the heartwarming story of blog artist, Marti Garaughty, who worked diligently and brilliantly with her time and design constraints, pulling through with the amazing (as his work always is) book cover design. Listening to Margaret was being educated to the finer things of life. It was that special day out of school and a trip to the world of downtown. It was the art of ROME and a delectable surprise, properly served. THANK YOU, Margaret Rome, for the gift of surprise---the ROME Way! Thank you for the beautiful, red-carpeted inscription in my book: "keep surprising yourself" and for the ultimate surprise of your phone call. THANK YOU for the BEAUTY of ACTIVE RAIN that was left pounding in my heart.
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Active in Alabama, Mara Hawks, REALTOR with FIRST REALTY of Auburn, AL, #1 Real Estate Team in Lee County, THE LEADER in professional real estate services in Auburn, Opelika & Lee County for over 3 decades! Committed to INTEGRITY, KNOWLEDGE & SERVICE.
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That's really cool. Let me know how the book is, I was thinking of getting it myself.
Mara,
I was hoping it was Jim Rome! lol... Thanks for the post!
Sean
Mara, Margaret IS the finer things in life! I adore her. She's one smart cookie and so giving. One of my all time favorites. You just met a gem!
Mara - Margaret was the first person I "met" on Active Rain last summer. She has perfected the art of reaching out and "touching someone". She is a blessing to all that know here and especially the AR community. You'll enjoy the book. I hope that everyone that reads this orders it!
Mara, What a surprise!
I am at the airport with my hubby. The guys usually go flying on Saturday mornings. Lee asked me to join him today. It is 7 degrees outside and not sure if anyone else is going to show up.
So what does one do with a few extra minutes? They check their email and they check AR... and what a wonderful surprise. You are a fantasic writer. I love this post! You now know I work for Thank you notes; remember mARTi works for cookies! Thanks for my wonderful pay check.
Keep surprising yourself and keep surprising me!
Mara, thanks for your story about the gem of a woman and author that is Margaret Rome. Just so you know how wonderful she is, she has called me and autographed my copy of the book as well. A true stAR here in the Rain.
Margaret is a great person. I have spoken to her on the phone as well. It is no surprise she reached out and called you. I would expect nothing less:)
Mara- You brought tears to my eyes....I absolutely love how you tell a story. And this is one very good story. I wanted to order Margaret's Book, but can't right now, it is on that same floor your father took you to. I remember when she was writing it, then editing, and the book cover by Marti. I followed it, and was thrilled when she received all those boxes of books....published books, my life long dream. I rode my dream with Margaret's success, and have embellished it with yours.
The phone call was the icing on the cake for sure.....:) Enjoy your book, as you treasure the memory.
Mara, you now know why I was proud to promote Margaret and her book. You will find it to be a must read for our business.
From time to time Margaret also does a radio that I try to listen to on the internet.
Stacey-Ann - I recommend the book to everyone...and you can easily order it by clicking on the book graphic here ;-)
Sean - I think I'm going to have to google that one. I'm not exactly hip on a lot of stuff!
Linda - I realize that...a shining star...I am so blessed!
Connie - I love learning of your story. Those initial people that we discover in the RAIN seem to have the greatest impact for our experience here, and inspire our learning and our own reaching out.
Margaret - Thank you (again!) for your words ---with liftoff! (7 degrees sounds a bit chilly!) I have to find out though, are the cookies you link mARTi to, some type of web cookie or REAL cookies?
Gary - You are such a wonderful man and bringer of joy and wisdom, humor and humility here in the RAIN...NO ONE could not know how wonderful YOU are too!! The rainbows in this RAIN come from the brightness of people like you...and Margaret...and so many others that I am so grateful to get to know.
Bill - And with producers from HGTV/House Hunters and all, phoning you now, you hopefully will never have to put Margaret on hold! ;-) I am truly thrilled with all of the Active Rain connections that I make outside of blogging---YOU included! To me, it's magic!
Kathy - Santa should not be unemplyed for 11 months of the year. We NEED stuff! I'm writing him a letter. You have always made me feel so non-anonymous and I love you for that!
Mara....I got a call from Margaret too! It made my day as well......she is so special and thoughtful. I won a copy of Margaret's book at the AR Christmas radio party and am reading for the second time now. It's a great book and one that you can find new things that you may have missed the first time through.
Mara, great story and also a terrific testament to the powers of Active Rain!
Randy - Thanks for the inspiration and for spreading the good word!
Ann - How rewarding that has to be, to MAKE SOMEONE'S DAY with a phone call! Margaret's been doing that for years, and everyone remarks on how special she made them feel. For me, getting her phone call, was like that tap of the fairy wand on my head :-) And what a wonderful book to win! (I remember that!)
Jim - ...and that's only a nutshell... :-)
Mara, Those were real cookies sent to mARTi from Baltimore. They are famous chocolate topped Berger cookies.
Mara- You will never be anonymous in my eyes :) I am not kidding when I say I love how you write, and you have so much to share....I'm still waiting till you come back for a visit :)
My best brag was this: meeting Jorge Luis Borges in a very small Argentine shop. He had an egg and tomato sandwhich ... don't know why that matters... but it just seemed odd that I and five others were in this place and only I seemed to realize how big of a deal this was. Shouldn't his countrymen have recognized him?