Exactly two days ago, on 4th October, a friend and I exchanged these comments in a Facebook chat:
Friend: '3 apples changed the world. The first one is the apple Eve seduced Adam with. The second apple fell from a tree and inspired Newton Law of Gravitation. The third one was offered to the world half bitten by Steve Jobs.'
Me: 'Was Steve Jobs also naked, like Adam, when he bit the apple?'
Friend: 'Good question, let me know Steve's phone number, I'll call him and ask :-P'
Me: 'http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Steve_jobs_phone_number' (link no longer exists)
Friend (after pretend-calling Steve Jobs). "He was. He also asked if Newton was naked when he saw the falling apple, but I am not calling a dead man to ask this.'
We chuckled. It was fun!
But it also reminded me of Steve Job's Stanford Commencement Speech, which another friend shared with me years ago. It is a profound speech, and I have listened to it again and again when life gets rough... I thought - not only is he a technological and creative genius, but he is also a very genuine and wise man, brave to share his personal story.
Connecting the dots...
Love and Loss...
Death...
For these who don't know me, I have been having an year from hell - within a month I lost the man I love, my job, and my home. And I'm living on my own abroad, in a country who's language I don't speak. So yesterday, 5th Octover, I watched Steve's speech again to find hope, because after all ... I am alive and I am a fighter... I even wrote down his words, they are so inspirational!
In a moment of admiration I visited the Apple website, looked at his photo (the one in this post) and I thought... Thank you, Steve!
Little did I know that on that same day his life will end.
I'm shaking my head in disbelieve, yet life is like that. Unpredictable.
I won't rant about the greatness of Apple's products. This post is about Steve - the person!
He will be missed, but I won't forget his words! And I will try to live by them.
Thank you, Steve!
PS. Thank you, Soham, Arzu, Alex, and Erik, for so many things..
Well said. My take: that all men die, is something that's acceptable. But this guy was in the prime of his life, and still could have done so much for this world! A damned shame, if you ask me. On the other hand, maybe it's better to burn out, than to fade away.
ReplyDeleteSteve Jobs -- an inspiring story and person. It is sad that he went away so early but then these things are not in anyone's control. About him inspiring you, that is wonderful. Hold on to that positivity.
ReplyDeleteI find that when I had moments of stress, when life looked bleak, when things went bad or go bad, I dive within my inherent strength. I know that I am strong, and nothing will hold me down forever. I also turn to my support system then. People who love me for being me and will hold me up and uplift my sagging spirits -- my sister and dad. In these darkest moments, it is easy to feel depressed and it helps to be surrounded by those who care. I believe from my experiences that the worst phases will be behind us sooner or later, and the good parts will not last forever. Life is such!
Rest in Peace Steve Jobs.
Bart, it's true, nothing lasts forever, so I guess I should learn to enjoy/appreciate it while it lasts.
ReplyDeleteRachna, thanks for making another good point - tapping into your strength. Still a lesson to learn!