I wrote everything there was to say last month but, like many of my peers, I assumed that there was more time for Steve to recover and influence a few more things before leaving the world forever. Also, I think we all assumed that the passing of Jobs would be big but not this big. I’m amazed at how big it was. It wasn’t just a blip on CNN, it was front-page news across the world. Elvis, Lennon, Jackson and Jobs. There are special edition magazines, movie deals and hour long specials. Beyond the media spin about Steve and his legacy, there was a conversation starter each moment of my day just by having an Apple product or sticker. At the gas pump, my Apple sticker would start a conversation and co-workers would offer condolences for “my loss” and strangers at the gym would stop by to talk about Jobs just because I was reading on an iPad. The passing conversations have started to slow down but I’m still wearing my Apple hat intead of the Pandora hat to continue some mourning for Steve and honor his legacy. It’s unclear how much we’ll talk about him a year from now or how the history books will bre written. We don’t know that yet but he won’t be forgotten in any way.
What I need to say has already been said. The millions of words written after the passing of Jobs are enough to fill volumes of books. He touched everyone even if the only Apple product in your life was an installation of iTunes or a stolen copy of Finding nemo.
I hope we can apply the lessons that Steve lived in our daily lives. It’s clear that he didn’t preach or talk about his worth ethic and lifestyle. He lived it from the humble home in Palo Alto, to the long hours at the office doing what he loved. He set some examples for all of us.
There’s one thing that remains a mystery to many. Charity. As one of the top 50 richest people in the world, there are little meaningful contributions. Perhaps they were made anonymously or perhaps not at all. The Jobs family and Estate may contribute now that he is gone but that’s unclear. I’m not one of those people who measures worth to the world by charity donations but I’m curious if that will happen. It’s hard to swallow a person who collected $1 a year salary and didn’t own a yacht or private plane who isn’t making donations. Jobs lived a simple life for a billionaire and it was a quiet life. What’s next for the estate? That’s not for us to decide and we should stop talking about it.
Jobs is gone forever. I’m actually not certain that it has set in for me yet. I haven’t commemorated him or visited an Apple Store or sat through a Pixar marathon. I’ve just kept doing what I do best and maybe that’s how we say thanks. You don’t have to buy a new phone to honor Steve or leave flowers. Just keep living life and living as if you realize your life really is as short as you think it is.