My heroes have always been tech guys (with apologies to Willie)
I feel like I should comment on the life and death of Steve Jobs. I guess I am not sure why. I think it is because it is a safe way to frame some comments about mortality. I would not write about the death of my parents because that would have been too personal. Steve, in contrast, represents someone just familiar enough to all of us to offer a more comfortable opportunity to comment on the meaning of a life and have others understand.
My career has been strongly influenced by the products created by Apple (then Apple Computer). I started with Apple about as early as it was possible to start. I wrote a grant back in the day when Apple had grant programs for educators and received several Apple IIs. To put this time in perspective, this was before computers came with displays capable of producing lower case letters and before images on the screen were practical. I learned to program so I could write games to develop reading skills. I really believed the idea that technologies offered a way to change the world – or at least that part of the world called school. I became fascinated with a product called Hypercard because it seemed a way to offer authoring/programming to everyone. The idea of personal empowerment through technology has always meant a lot to me.
Personal empowerment and possibilities even for children – the potential caught the attention of my wife who more or less redirected her career as a consequence. Together, we began to explore ways in which children could use technology to create in ways that helped them learn. A powerful idea – Children as the authors and the teachers, children with something meaningful to say. The fascination with Apple products has been good to Cindy, too. She has traveled the world and continues to do so because she has a way of relating to educators and explaining what students are capable of given the opportunity.
I have only seen Steve in person one time and I have certainly moved on to use the technology tools produced by other companies. Visionary people fascinate me and I have read most of the books written about Apple. I have learned that Steve was certainly not the nicest person, but he was a true believer and he was a finisher. You encounter lots of people in a life time who are lucky enough to possess some true gifts. Only a few have the determination to make a difference.
I think the death of someone we connect with impacts us mostly because it reminds us of our own mortality. That sounds kind of uncaring and egocentric, but I think it is true. We can certainly feel sorry for the loss of the family and feel that the person has been cheated out of living on, but still we soon begin to think about ourselves. The media have been playing the part of a recent commencement address in which Steve commented on this same thing. I have always thought my wife, a two-time cancer survivor, has a similar sense of things. Once the reality of death becomes clear, you start asking yourself how you really want to spend today.
So, as the ad goes (sort of), “here is to the crazy ones – the ones who really have changed the world.”