R.I.P. Steve Jobs

In third grade I was introduced to my first Apple computer at Hewlett Elementary school. We could only use it during Library time of course, and ironically the only thing I ever did on the thing was play Oregon Trail. But I was really, really good at Oregon Trail, and so needless to say, that Apple IIc made a serious impression on me.

Since then, neither I, nor anyone else in my immediate family has ever owned anything but Apple computers...and I can't imagine that ever changing for the rest of my life. I'm typing this post from my macbook air, and have been reading the outpouring of love and admiration for Jobs on my iPhone. I'm sure the same is true for millions of others--this is not insignificant.

Although I know better intellectually, Apple doesn't feel like a brand or a company to me...it's really become a genuine part of my life. I have been inspired and awestruck by Steve Jobs' creative vision and unstoppable passion for innovation for many years now. I've sat at my desk at work watching his livestream presentations from Cupertino and have watched his Stanford commencement speech vid at least a dozen times. So perhaps this is why I burst into tears last night when I arrived home to hear the news of his passing.

I never could have guessed that I'd feel so devastated about the passing of a man that I had never even met, and yet I was...and I am.