I want to pay my respects to Mr. Steve Jobs and his family by offering prayers for the peaceful repose of his soul. The co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs was only 56 when he died on October 5th. In just a relatively short amount of time Steve Jobs introduced the world to Macs, iTunes, iPhones, iPods, iPads, and Pixar animation. We have all been blessed by his creative genius and vision; i don’t wish to overemphasize this but technology can, and does, benefit society when used responsibly (not with an excessive attachment to material goods that always seeks to keep up with The Whoevers). I have personally benefited from the accomplishments of Steve Jobs, after all, I am writing this on a MacBook Pro.
From graphic design work to acting as a set of hands and feet, my Mac has served many purposes and has made this disabled person’s life a little easier. And now, I can’t hide my excitement about the new iPhone 4S with voice recognition. The phone actually understands intuitive voice commands that can be used to carry out practically every task possible on the iPhone. I wonder what else Jobs could have come up if he lived longer. Speaking of life, I never knew that Steve Jobs was adopted.
When he was born, his parents were not married and choose adoption, thankfully not the other A word. Every life matters from conception to natural death. It is interesting that later on in life, Jobs got in touch with his biological mother and sister. It is even more interesting and not at all important that Mona Simpson, Jobs’ biological sister, married a writer for The Simpsons who used his wife’s name for a character on the show, namely Homer’s mother. Anyway, I am grateful for the life of Steve Jobs… by the way, in a commencement address he gave at Stanford in 2005, he left us some truly important and substantial words about how to live:
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
Steve Jobs, Rest in Peace.