When You Finally Know

You know how people ask children and teenagers, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I always had answers back then – scientist, pilot, writer. But once I hit the age when you're supposed to have some direction, the choices were not so clear. And since then I've spent decades saying, "I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up."

Margaret Rome signing Real Estate the Rome Way

The other night I realized that I finally DO know. I want to be what I am now. I want to be the one setting up the signing table, schmoozing with the fans, and helping authors make that connection with their readers. I want to be the one with the camera, roaming the room and taking pictures as the author talks with customers and signs their books. I want to be the one they mention in the acknowledgments because I've helped them make a particular dream come true.

It's only taken mumbledy-teen years, but it finally happened. I know what I want to be when I grow up!

(I still don't want to actually grow up…but that's another story.)

The Day After

When I was growing up, the excitement that built up before Christmas was an important part of the holiday fun. My brother and I spent hours imagining all the wonderful things Santa would bring us, and when my little sister came along, we played our parts in that happy fantasy. I helped bake cookies galore and my brother did his part to keep the tins from overflowing. Day by day the anticipation built until we were just about jumping out of our skins.

Then it was here!

And then it was over.

The day after Christmas was quiet and slow and gray, even if the sun was shining. There were still presents to enjoy and cookies to eat, but the anticipation was all used up, and we were down.

Over the past few days I've been there – anticipation used up, delight in the just-opened packages still as great as ever, but somehow just a little down. With Christmas still a week away, how could that be?

Ah, yes – it's the books! Last Friday we finally received the shipment of Margaret Rome's book – my company's first published title. Every time I see that cover I get a thrill. Sure, there is still much to do with sending copies to the Library of Congress and the Copyright Office, a contest to enter, and orders to fill. But all those hours of working to get it right, and then the weeks of worrying that it would actually be what we envisioned when it came from the printer – all that's done now. And yes, The Silloway Press has three more books for other people to get published in the next few months, but Real Estate the Rome Way is my first. You never forget the details, the emotional attachment of your first, do you?

As my friend Margaret says, "WIN?" What's important now? Time to do what always worked for the 10-year-old me on the day after Christmas: play with my favorite toy (a new 22" flat screen monitor – yay!), have a cookie, and start again.

Here's to a season and new year of great beginnings, happy anticipation, and successful conclusions for everyone.