A Farewell To A True Hippie: Steve Jobs

Never in my lifetime, have I ever thought, that I’d live the day of post-pc age. I grew up in the PC era and have longed thought that it will still be a PC-era even after I grow old and wither away from this planet. Despite the rise of the IT business, I thought it was going to stay like that. The GPS for example, when I was in college, I thought it would never be more popular anywhere else than our Marine Biology laboratory back in college because we use it during samplings. This was early 2000. Who would have known it would be in every person's pockets through the invention of iPhones. This means every person with an iPhone now has a GPS capability, among other things.  We have the late Steve Jobs to thank for.

Frankly speaking, I’ve never really known much about Steve Jobs until I saw the movie the Pirates of Silicon Valley and his epic Commencement Speech at the Stanford Graduation Rite in 2007. Before that all I know was he makes computers used by the affluent people, which are designed as though they came from a futuristic cartoon. I always consider practicality first. However, when Ipod came out, I found that it was the most practical thing to buy for a music junkie like me who likes to take my music with me wherever I go. I can’t only listen to hundreds of songs but I can also watch a movie in it, which could really come in handy during long travels. And guess what’s more? It’s the most durable thing I ever owned. I’m not sure about your experience, but with mine, its quality was worth every penny I paid it for. Little did I know that the predecessor of that Ipod I owned was the start of Apple’s rise to the IT business. Then I saw the movie Silicon Valley and I thought, how can one hippie do something great like that? My thoughts about “Hippies” are idealistic but a drug-overdosed bunch. Don’t get me wrong, I love “hippies” and I always liked to consider myself one. What’s amazing was that, he didn’t just think of it and rant about it with his friends while doing Acid or weed. He made it happen. He changed the world, not politically, but through how we go along our daily lives. I will bet my ass if you can find 10 people in Singapore without an Iphone. He made the Iphone so much like a need that the Government has to create software for transport navigation around the country for the sole use of an Iphone.

That commencement speech at the Stanford University graduation, who wasn’t blown away by that? When I saw that, it was the time when I needed those encouraging words to keep me going through the day. I was trying to understand how I turned out the way I did and all those soul searching time of my life. And it was very credible because it was from someone who made my life a wee bit easier every day and less boring, through the ipod. That speech has been an inspiration to me, since then. I don't think I'll ever look at life the way again. “Death is a destination we all share,” he said, therefore it’s not something we should be afraid for. Death should be an inspiration to strive to make our lives better.

To the world's grief, he had joined our Lord in the afterlife last October 5, 2011. He had marked his name with an indelible ink in history. The world lost a rather revolutionary “hippie” who envisioned an easier and stylish life for us. Truly, his legacy will last far more than my life time.