For those of us passionate about technology and art, for those of us who thrive creatively because of technology and art, for those of us that continue to pursue education and make a living because of technology and art, the day began with much discussion about iPhones, iOS, Android, Google, Facebook, Siri, Amazon, Kindles, this one is better, that one is awesome, where is the iPhone 5 that I so wanted, this system is better than that system, my patents can beat up your patents, all in a frenzy of strong opinions.
Then as the day ends, all that passion, all those opinions, get shaken to the core with an incredibly profound sense of sadness. It's surprising, shocking even, how truly, deeply sad we feel.
At this moment this is all I know for sure.
When I wrote my university applications and essays on a Mac I didn't know who Steve Jobs was, all I knew was that this device, this computer, it gave me the keys to the American Dream.
The American Dream looks very different now, feels very different now. We use technology and art to help us endure the vicissitudes of surviving our daily lives.
Last night I sat in a small room waiting for a board meeting to start. A board meeting for an organization I volunteer my time and energy towards, spending countless hours in front of Macs creating things out of nothing to help a dear friend fulfill his vision of an exceptional concert series.
While waiting I had a quick Skype chat with one of my oldest friends, a friend who knew me when I was a child and now lives on the other side of the world. It was 1:30am where he lives and we commiserated about insomnia and made plans to connect soon again.
After he said good bye I looked at my iPad, the technology I was going to use to talk about music and art, and stared at my iPhone. My New Jersey friend walked into the room and I told him how I just had a casual conversation with my Saudi Arabia friend like it was nothing, like geography, time and space weren't an obstacle at all.
Your tools may be different than mine, your technology may be different than mine, and if we pause for long enough to notice, they are awe-inspiring.
It is that feeling, that awe, that I think about when I think of Steve Jobs.
He led many brilliant people to create tools that helped me get an education, get a career. That help me keep up with my family, connect with my friends, derive joy from the things I love.
For that I am grateful.
