Steve Jobs died yesterday. And while I’m no where near obsessed with Apple products as the next geek, I still remember getting my first (and only) Mac Book Pro and feeling like I won the lottery. I will say this — despite all his faults, all the accusations, the drama, the rivalry, the unfortunate naming of products (see iPad) — he truly was an American Genius. The Edison of our time. The da Vinci of new media. He revolutionized the way we live our lives forever.
But beyond that — what struck me most was the outpouring of respect that followed his death. President Obama commented, “…he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity….” The President. Of the United States. How many other “commoners” can say that the President commented on their deaths? Other quotes included:
Zuckerberg: “Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world.”
Gates: “ The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come.”
Iger (CEO of Disney): “With his passing the world has lost a rare original”
Dick Costolo (Twitter CEO): “Once in a rare while, somebody comes along who doesn’t just raise the bar, they create an entirely new standard of measurement.”
Actress Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope): “Rest in peace, Steve Jobs. Kinda can’t believe he’s gone. Carrying a little part of him in my pocket every day.”
And his 2005 commencement speech at Stanford was so full of profound quotes about life, I’ll let you google that one for yourself.
All anyone wants in this world (at least in my eyes) is to be remembered…to some how matter in the great scheme of things. I, for one, hope to touch one, maybe two people in my lifetime. Steve Jobs touch a billion people. He was a thinker. He was an artist. He was a do-er. But most importantly, he was insanely great.
RIP Steve Jobs. May you bring a whole other generation of iGenius to heaven.
