Yesterday while driving on my way to school, I was floored with the news of Steve Jobs’ passing. I don’t know the man personally and while I have owned and currently own a few Apple gadgets, I am by no means an Apple-head. I would have no problems living without them. In fact, in my more youthful (idealistic) days, I was mildly anti-consumerist which disposition would conflict with the ‘Apple-ization’ of this world. Thus, it is quite perplexing that the news had overwhelmed me: how could the death of a stranger unsettle me? Throughout the day, news of his death, commentaries and tributes filled traditional, internet, and social media sites. In an elevator, I overheard a conversation between two sanitary technicians (probably never owned a Mac or even an iPod). One of them said, expressing his grief, “nakakalungkot.” I think more than the gadgets he’d given us (which I no doubt acknowledge as cool), he’d given us a much greater gift. He’s shown us a level of inventiveness that can only be described as transcendent. In an age of conformity, he was unique. It wasn’t just the products that were different, it was his thinking. His brilliance while otherworldly was grounded in this reality – this, I conjecture, is what makes Apple so intimately relevant yet paradigmatically revolutionary. Though Apple may continue to produce successful iterations of their product line, they are precisely just that, just iterations of his genius. Rest in peace Mr. Steve Jobs.
Entry#16
Ferdinand Manebo
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