Sigh.
Steve Jobs died today.
I can’t say it was unexpected, but I really felt he would stay around for a while longer…
Damn.
I personally feel like an hole has appeared in my life. This is rather curious to me; Famous, important people die all the time, and I almost never feel like I do now. I never knew him, of course, and I’m sure he was no saint. He had his share of imperfections and dysfunction, as we all do. But he also came to symbolize for me someone who really exemplified what life could be like if you lived "at the intersection of technology and the liberal arts," to use his phrase. He was a blend of powerful mind and creative heart. He was very very smart but also very artistic. Of course his forceful personality made life hell for so many, but in the end, his strength and conviction were able to transform and influence the lives of millions, including mine. Apple is now at the top, and he leaves this earth with things as best as could be hoped for. Too bad he couldn’t have stayed around for another 10-20 years… things are really starting to take off future-wise. Just yesterday Apple began the Star Trek age, where we can talk and interact with computers at an entirely new level. Soon this sort of thing will be as common as using a toilet or toaster oven. It will become The Way We Do Things, and it all started largely with him. Not only him, of course, but without all the good work he did over the decades with regards to popularizing computers, we never would have gotten this far.
His life's work has touched me deeply. This is probably why I feel such a hole. Apple and their wonderful tools helped me cultivate and express my creativity. Because they were so easy and pleasurable to use, I could create really cool things around multi-media, things I could never have imagined myself doing. I became such a fan boy not only because the tools were way cool, but because of how they helped me grow, connect, and get things done in very satisfying ways. For example, back when I worked at the Toyama College of Foreign Languages, I was kind of in a holding pattern with regards to my career. Through my friendship with Lee, a coworker who is a real Mac fan, I grew to love Apple products not primarily because they were technically better than anything else available, but because of what those products enabled and empowered me to do. I learned how to edit and share photos and videos, and through those projects I could gain confidence in using technology. These skills have helped me a lot and are now key elements of my resume. I learned how fun it was to create cool stuff, and now I can share that joy with others. In addition, since I live on the other side of the planet from my family, these skills have enabled me to share my life here in Japan with those I love despite the vast physical distances separating us.
So that’s what Jobs’ spirit is all about for me, and it’s extremely comforting to know it will always be a part of my life. I’m very grateful for that. I'm feeling this gratitude shine bright as I type these words… It feels like beams of light glowing through the empty space his passing has created. Each time I use Apple products to make my life and the lives of those around me better, even in tiny ways, I’ll feel this gratitude, remember Steve Jobs and all he has done, and smile a deep knowing smile inside.
Steve Jobs: Rest in peace! Congratulations on a life well-lived.
