My Tribute to Steven Paul “Steve” Jobs

I never was an Apple fan – I never purchased an Apple product and even now would not consider doing so. In my mind, I knew I could get something with better specs at a much lower price …. “why pay more for an Apple?”.

The closest I came to owning an Apple product, was receiving an IPod Shuffle from my generous ex-employer – I enjoyed listening to music with it but it was short-lived as my IPod went “missing” in the office. Now I work for another generous employer, which subsidises IPhone for its employees. From cleaners to chief executives, you are bound to bump into someone sliding their index finger.

Despite my “dislike”, I diligently surfed the web looking for news about Apple; I was intrigued reading about IPhone 5 rumours; I smiled when I had a chance to sling shoot birds on my friend’s device; I chuckled listening to a funny cat repeat what I say; I got excited chopping falling fruits.

How could this be? I wouldn’t buy it but yet I jumped at the opportunity to get close to it. It was enigmatic …. like the painting of Mona Lisa – you look at her and continue to look at her. I pondered about this effect and can only conclude that a genius created it.

Like Leonardo Da Vinci, Steve Jobs was a genius. He took a risk, pursued the unknown and made Apple the brand that it is today – the largest tech giant.

Today, a sense of sadness filled my heart when I heard of his passing away. Though I did not purchase a bitten apple, I was still amazed by its genuine creativity. The genius “painted” so well and captured my imagination and a million others. We’ve lost a great leader today and I can’t help but be affected by this news.

To Steve Jobs – thank you for the “paintings” – it was beautiful – distant yet close, known yet new. May you rest in peace. Amen.

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Address, 12 June 2005