December 11, 2010 Mexico, The House of Ruth

The House of Ruth

To the outside world it housed a group of people who have reached a skill level in their craft of the likes the world has never seen.  To others it was a money machine whose numbers had never been reached.  A dominant force in the industry to say the least.  One becomes a dynasty in football with 3 – 4 Super Bowl wins in a decade.  One becomes a monopoly with 5-10 years of dominance.  When one dominates for twenty years , well … you are Ruth Dickie.

To us on the inside it was not a house but a home.  This is where we went for knowledge, solace, companionship, a safe haven.  When she walked into the office the energy would double She always made sure that everything was in its place, all ready for whatever the day would bring.  Nothing fell through the cracks, a system was put in place for every contingency that could happen.

We all had our jobs.  She never asked for more than we could give yet it was enough to keep us engaged.  Everyone was made to feel that they were an integral part of a finely tuned machine.  No matter what our roles, we all played a big  part in making the whole better.

To Ruth we  all felt special.  She truly wanted all of us to succeed, not just in Real Estate but also in life.  Some time ago she realized that to make us better in one area of life you have to make it  in all life areas.  This is the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3, rule of Ruth.  And it works.  Some of her greatest achievements had nothing to do with Real Estate but made our lives so much richer.

Her knowledge and quest for it is amazing.  All those “Real Life” stories subtly made us better.  Her demand for the best training and most up to date methods all made us wiser but it was the coupling with integrity that made us even better.  Some days when she would talk about “Scientific America” it was puzzling but she was after the whole person – not just the real estate.  (Where do you find Scientific America?  But I know whenever I see it I will smile).   Whenever you had a problem, Ruth would say, “let’s sit down and talk it through”.  At the end you walked away thinking that you had solved the problem and it was so nice for Ruth to be the sounding board…she truly is amazing.

All these are nice traits but the greatest is she always put us first.  Everything she did was geared to making our lives richer and more productive.  She truly wanted only the best of everything for us.  It is better to ask for forgiveness than ask permission really only works when its for others.  Ruth just did whatever it took to make our lives better, and for that I am ever grateful. 

As I go down the path of life that she has paved with petals I only hope that someday I will be half the person Ruth thinks I am.  Enjoy,   A Grateful Agent.