I feel like I lost the best teacher I never had.
~ Anonymous
“Your time on this earth is limited, don’t live someone else’s life, live by your vision.” – Steve Jobs, 1955 – 2011
I am sad as I type this up on my shiny white MAC laptop. Steve Jobs passed away. I didn’t know Steve, but I was fierce in my defense of the holy MAC when debating its merits with PC fans. I saved up, patiently, until I could afford my very own MAC, and I now carry it around like a prized accessory. Yes, it’s more expensive than the other brands, but as I surf the net without fear of stumbling onto a virus and enjoy the beauty of its design and programming, I know it’s worth it. I shop at Forever 21 and will buy designer knockoff sunglasses for five bucks on the street, but when it comes to my laptop, I want the real deal.
Steve Jobs sparked a technological revolution with his first design of the MAC and ever since continued to amaze and inspire us with his brilliant vision. He made computers accessible to the world and gave young entrepreneurs the courage to forge ahead and create.
A few weeks ago, I watched in awe as he gave a speech to young graduates and was moved deeply by his advice on selecting a career. Jobs said, “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”
Jobs leaves behind his family, a wife of twenty years and four children. He was one of the richest people on earth. But money was not what drove Steve Jobs, as he told the Wall Street Journal in 1993. “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.”
So go ahead, be brave. Be fierce. Do something wonderful.
This article was posted on www.maidelle.com, an online magazine for Jewish teenage girls to speak their minds.