Sad Day

I remember my first trip down to the Apple Store in Albuquerque. I had worked on my dad for a solid month trying to convince him that we needed a new home computer and Apple was the way to go. My little Texas Instrument's machine which we had purchased from my good friend Mike Najjar just wasn't cutting it. Besides, Apple was way cooler. Even back in 1984.

To this day I still recall taking that big box up to my room and unpacking it. My dad's excitement for this new gadget was almost as palatable as mine. We tore into the box like it was the Christmas morning! I remember the smiles my dad and I shared as we carefully put this awesome looking little device together. It was the Apple IIc and it was up to that point, the prettiest thing I had ever seen in my life. The experience of buying something so unique was almost as fun a memory as to the great one on one time I spent with my dad learning how to use the darn thing.

Steve Jobs knew how to make the experience of owning an Apple more than just about cool gadgets. He knew that it was more than that. It was memories like that one with my dad way back when. It was seeing my dad's face back in 1984 and again when he opened the iPad my siblings and I gave him two years ago at Christmas. It was the bonding over a company, a brand and a legacy which saddens me just a bit today. I feel as if I have lost a member of the family, like an uncle who proudly looked over our shoulders as dad and I consumed the masterpiece of technological artistry which he created just for us. That is what I will miss with Steve Jobs.

He was without a doubt our modern day Da Vinnci. A true artist and technological master. But more than that, he was just a guy who brought a little more closeness to a father and a son. He created the greatest "connection" devices in the world.

Rest in peace Steve. Rest in peace.

Ripple On!!!