Thank you, Steve Jobs

Just the other day, as I was coming home from my 5:00 pm boxing practice, I received a notification from my friend, “Rest in peace Steve Jobs.”  At the moment, I was not sure what to make of that information.  I was not saddened nor angry by his passing but rather simply apathetic by the whole situation.  I thought to myself,  “oh well life goes on” and casually slipped the iPhone back into my pocket.

I walked into my bedroom and logged onto my Macbook Pro to catch the latest information on Steve Job’s passing.  Upon hours and hours of absorbing various information on his death and comments from his loyal fan base, surprisingly enough…I was still not affected by his death.  I mean, why should I? I had no personal recollection or any real encounter with the visionary Steve Jobs.

However, just to the right of me was an iPad that my parents lent me.  I picked it up and found a small engraving on the back of this device.  It says, “Tam T & Tina L Happy Anniversary”.  It was a gift that my mom gave to my dad this year in celebration of their 30th year anniversary.  From that moment on, it personally hit me.  I was deeply moved by not so much on my acceptance of Steve Jobs’s passing but rather the impact that he had made on both my parents and I.

 

You see, my parents (and among other older Vietnamese generation) were not what we call “tech savvy.”  Things like social media, mp3 players, cameras, and among other electronic innovations have always intimidate them to delve into our bustling neo-technological world.  My parents were confine by this agrarian mentality, meeting their daily needs by obtaining them physically.  They were not true advocates of the digital world but rather carried on this philosophy of, “if I have two hands and two feet, then why not use it?”  However, that all changed when we brought home our first Apple product.

My first experience with Apple’s product is quite similar to many Gen Y’ers out there.  It dated back in 2003 when my dad surprised us with our first Mac computer, the iMac “Flavours,” all basked in its glimmering green glory.  I was 17 at the time, and just like any other high school kid, the majority of my pubescent years were all spent on chats, emails, and of course Xanga, one of the pioneer weblogs in which I poured my teenage, angsty heart and soul on topics like college planning and bad breakups. 

My parents have always found computers a positive influence for my future.  Needless to say this single Mac product was an important gateway on their future as well.  Steve Jobs always had a knack of developing friendly interfaces that allows people like my parents to easily send emails to a distant relative or catch up on the latest Vietnamese news.  It was an eye-opening experience for them, allowing them to send and receive information that they never would have imagined.  From that moment on, the Apple logo was the iconic symbol for innovation.  It represents change and creativity, allowing consumers like my family to utilize information differently.  Suffice to say, with every new upgraded models that we brought home, it changed our lives.  The changes perpetuate with every Mac product that Steve Jobs debuted.  Each model is an entity of its own, providing new doors for improvement and possibilities.

Though the absence of Steve Job may have come to a shock for many, his legacy and innovation continues to remain.  His legacy is found in his company. His impact are seen through his innovation.  Most importantly of all, he changes on how we perceive the world through his technology.

As Steve Jobs once said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”  Thank you Steve Jobs for blueprinting these “dots” as a way of seeing how much our world has progressed and providing new doors for technological improvement.

Speaking on behalf of OneVietnam–we appreciate you Steve Jobs for the gift and vision that you have bestowed.