The Day Steve Jobs Died

My first encounter with an Apple computer was at the Curriculum Library of the "old" International School of Manila. This was around the early 80's. It was a cute looking monster. And expensive. So my mom told me. It's a MacIntosh, she said. It has a mouse.

A decade and some after, I was lent one and used the cute little monster for my word processing, desktop publishing, spreadsheet work in the library. I got to use the mouse. I loved the icons and the ease with which I could transfer files via drop and click.

After another decade, I got my first MacBook. For the next five years, it became an indispensable attachment. I wrote my first book in that Macbook; made my first podcast; constructed my first video and carried the sexy beast in all of my workshops, seminars, forums and talks. When I carelessly soaked the sexy beast in iced tea, I cried buckets. I blamed myself big time.

It took me months to buy a new one. It will take me months to buy accessories. One thing is for sure though, once a Mac user, always a Mac user. Steve Jobs' brilliant little gadget made me look tech savvy. It made me think smart. Using a Mac eliminated geeky-ness. It made things easy and less complicated. For this, I will always be thankful for Steve Jobs even though an Apple costs a fortune. It's worth it.

So when the overwhelming expression of grief inundated Twitter and Facebook on the day he died, it was proof that the man has reached the status of legend.

We ordinary people do not know what goes on behind those walls at Apple, but we who use its technology certainly know the benefits of owning a MacBook, an Ipod, an iPad, an iPhone. And the fantastic thing about it is that Steve Jobs, knew what to do with the time he's been given upon his return to Apple. Cancer did not stop him from pushing the limits of imagination and creativity. More than the gadget, it his drive and enigmatic personal life that is making him larger than life.

Thanks again Steve! You left us with Apple. That's cool. You also showed us how to live life to the fullest. That's awesome!

Photo sources:
Apple logo with SJ's silhouette -
The tribute logo created by 19-year-old Jonathan Mak Long swept the Web this week. He told Yahoo! about his inspiration: "With Jobs gone, Apple is literally missing a piece." http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/apple-tribute-logo-hit-202848951.html

Steve Jobs on the cover of Time -
http://techland.time.com/2011/10/06/check-out-this-weeks-time-magazine-cover/

Graduation Speeches

Tomorrow, I will be at my Alma Mater to deliver a message to the graduating batch of 2010. It is the Grade School department who invited me so my speech is tailored for children age 12-13. But of course, since the event is a time when the school's administrators, teachers and parents celebrate a milestone achieved by them and by their children, I will also touch on this joyous accomplishment in their lives.

I did a bit of reading on the memorable commencement speeches by "famous" personalities who delivered inspiration to groups of graduates over the years. It has led me to very good models.

There's Steve Jobs' address to Stanford grads in 2005. Funny how at such an occasion, Jobs talked about death, hunger and foolishness. Paul Hawken, on the other hand, ruminates on life, earth and our smallness being a part of the whole universe. His speech challenged the graduates of the University of Portland to consider serving humanity in the field where they excel the most. He was also campaigning to save Mother Earth in the first place. His belonged to the top ten commencement speeches of the past decade. And then there's JK Rowling's "The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination" delivered in 2008 at Harvard. I love it.

I'm no Steve Jobs. Neither can I do Hawken's insightful take on living and loving the planet we call mother. Rowling's shoes are too humungous to fill. So I'll just do my best with the intention of delivering a message that would relate to my audience's experience and context.