Well done, thou good and faithful servant

Do you remember what it was like before everyone had a cell phone? I remember it well. I was so anti-cell phone, figuring that if someone needed to get a hold me, they'd leave a message on my home phone and I'd get back to them then. Boy, have those days changed. Anytime I leave the house without my phone, I feel naked.

What about the first computer you ever used? Mine was a Mac. Back then I was so impressed at how you could reach out to so many people on the net without leaving your house. Fast-forward to when I went from using a 4-track, Adats, DA88, 1in reel to reel to the format I use now to record music. The good ole-tried-and-true-MACintosh. Sure it's time for me to upgrade my "baby", but she has given me so many years of pleasure. The ability to turn an idea into a song right in the next room when inspiration may hit in the middle of the night. Pajama's and all. Over the years I have wondered, "who is the master mind" behind this system that has made it possible for me to attend to my Mommy duties, be home when he wakes up in the middle of night and yet write, produce and record all in one swoop....and with the exception of electricity usage, at no extra cost.

Enter Steve Jobs. A man who from childhood found his passion. This passion would translate into convenience, connectivity and for some a lifeline during crucial times. How many times have you seen someone on the train listening to their iPod to pass the time during their commute? Or a group of people standing close together to take a picture with an iPhone to capture that moment in time? When was the last time you heard a song on the radio or on pandora, and immediately went to iTunes and found the gem you HAD to have in you collection? Thirty years ago, I never would have guessed that this is where technology was headed. Steve Jobs did. As a matter fact, he had the forethought to make it so. In 2001, Apple announced the release of the little "pod" where you could take your music with you everywhere you go......Over 297,000,000 iPods sold worldwide as of December 2010. That's not even talking about the iPhone and iPad obsession that everyone on the planet seems to have.

Let's dig a little deeper. I can honestly say that Steve Jobs and his innovations basically gave a lifeline to independent artist like myself. How else would my music be heard and purchased in over 138 countries, within a few months? Enter iTunes. Without iTunes and the other digital outlets that followed, I wouldn't have been able to release "Love Infinity".......and so many other of my "indie" counterparts wouldn't have a forum to place their hard work for others to share and enjoy. I, for one, am indebted to him for that. Not only for his innovations, but upon his passing more and more "nuggets" have been posted and re-posted. His words were so poignant and profound.....yet simplistic enough for young people to "get it". All this from a man whom, at birth was given up for adoption, had 6 months of college education.....who would go on to give the most memorable Commencement Speech at Stanford University (USNWR 2011) in 2005. Whether you have an affinity for PC or Mac, Steve Jobs gave us much more than a "Computer War", he left us with hope that will resonate for generations to come.

Experience his sincerity, thought-provoking testimony.......In his OWN words:

 

 

How to live before you die

"That's been one of my mantras -- focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains." -- BusinessWeek interview, May 1998

"The most compelling reason for most people to buy a computer for the home will be to link it into a nationwide communications network. We're just in the beginning stages of what will be a truly remarkable breakthrough for most people--as remarkable as the telephone."
-- Playboy interview, 1985

"It's really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them."
-- BusinessWeek interview, May 1998

"Picasso had a saying: 'Good artists copy, great artists steal.' We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas...I think part of what made the Macintosh great was that the people working on it were musicians, poets, artists, zoologists and historians who also happened to be the best computer scientists in the world."
-- 1994

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. ... Stay hungry. Stay foolish."
-- Stanford University commencement address, June 2005.

Matthew 25:21  ".......Well done, thou good and faithful servant"