By Christopher M.
On March 24, 2001, I was at the Apple Campus for a developer class. Why is that date significant? It was the release of OS X 10.0 Cheetah. Being true Mac zealots, my friend and I drafted off an employee through the secure doors into the employee only cafeteria for lunch.
To our surprise, Steve Jobs came in and stood on top of a table next to me to casually address the employees. He was 5 feet from me as he held up a preview copy of the Wall Street Journal announcing the new operating system.
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He read a review from Walt Mossberg gushing over the new OS. Steve thanked all the employees for their hard work and proclaimed that this was going to save the company. Just a few months earlier, rumors swirled that Sun was going to buy Apple. This was before the iPod was released later that year.
The most touching moment was when he stepped down from the table. Steve had a well deserved brash reputation. Most employees were scared to talk to him. But two older ladies, who obviously had been working at Apple for years, came up and thanked him for coming back and saving the company. He smiled and gave them a hug.
I’ll miss Steve Jobs. We don’t have long on this earth, we may never change the world as much as he has. But we can honor him by being the crazy ones. The ones who believe that they can change the world.
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Chris! Great true-life story! What a great experience to have met this ‘genius’ of a man that is being lauded by many people, globally. I Believe he has changed the world for the better. And Chris, God gave you that kind of genius, too. What an inspiration Steve Jobs has been, especially for you tech-engineers, visionaries, who not only understand it but create, too and see it futuristically.
Geniuses seem to know, as you wrote above, that there is so much to put forth and such little time on earth to do it. I heard him say similarly, in a speech graduate students that was radio broadcast today on News network stations all over.
Chris, thanks for sharing your experience, perspective, insights and heart related to Steve Jobs for us to remember him by. It sure was awesome that you were there on that March day.
And keep being passionate and don’t stop being one of the ‘crazy ones’.
Christopher, you are an excellent storyteller! Your story gives emotions to reflect, grieve the loss of a great man, and honor his name with forward thinking and being.
Thank you, Christopher, for introducing me to Jobs and Apple. Without them and your teachings; plus you and Jon giving to me many ‘Apple’ products I would be a lost soul.
And, while I am saying “Thank You,” let me personally thank you for this site. It gives me freedom to express spiritually the things I believe so strongly in. I have heard many say, Steve Jobs, left them with spiritual expression. I agree; he left me with tools to express spiritual expression with my written and spoken words. May I honor him by using all his invaluable tools to tell of my faith!
Blessings to you and your innovative work and skills that God has given you. May they be used at the highest level to bring you satisfaction and enjoyment.
Hey, I want to be one of those ‘crazy ones’, too!
Well, Sara with all due respect, admiration and honor…you are especially and spiritually-led…one of those “peculiar people” i.e. one of those ‘crazy ones’!!
Cool, MG, thanks. Great to have an encourager!
Thank you for sharing your story honoring Steve Jobs. Thank you Chris for helping me shop for my first Apple and then buying my second. After the first I was sold with the ease of its use. I remember you telling me after the second, please take good care of this as this tool holds so much power and thus should be treated with great care. Yes, from the idea of the inventor to all those who worked towards the goal to birth it, the information highway then comes to our finger tips. We honor and thank Steve Jobs for being a visionary who acted on his vision which has changed the world.
“He smiled and gave them a hug.” This shows kindness. And, kindness shows a great man. Thanks, Chris, for the story, love it! You told it with passion and one receives it with inspiration to be a crazy one.
Great story, Christopher! Thanks for sharing and helping us to be inspired, to be one of those “crazy ones”! 🙂
NEEDLES, you have two sons that are “crazy ones!” Hooray for them as they grow and run their race of fulfilling their destiny.
Thank you, Sara. I pray they always seek God’s wisdom and direction, for their destiny.