Life Lessons - Thanks, Steve Jobs

All of us who call ourselves mac people could tell stories. We do tell stories! Stories about how we love our Macs, way before iphones, ipods, ipads. When owning a mac and defending that choice went hand in hand. Stories of the first one we had. Stories about arguments with the PC people. I've heard them and I've told them, over the 20 some years I've used and owned Macs. Probably the best story for me was when my last mac, the one I use now, was only six months old and crashed on me. Mac...crashing in a way where  I couldn't fix it myself? What?

I called mac people in the states. I called mac people I knew in the Virgin Islands and some  in Puerto Rico .getting kids young enough to be my children (who also used macs) telling me, throw it out and get a new one. I was appalled. This is a MAC!!! You've got to be kidding! I researched online, but nothing was working.

So I carefully wrapped up my mac, spending whatever it cost, to put every kind of must be signed by the deliveree, and insurance that the Post Office offered. I addressed it to, and ONLY to Steve Jobs, with a letter telling him how long I'd been a mac person come hell or high water (and my various macs had been through both and kept on ticking). I told him I believed in this product and I couldn't imagine what had become of his company to have some kid tell me it was worthless, at only six months old. I sent it away with a hope and a thought that if I'd had a bottle big enough, I probably could have sealed it in there and tossed it off the ferry dock with the same amount of promise. But hey, I'm a mac person, we gotta try everything!

Two weeks later, I got a call from the head of the Latin American division of Apple. He asked me if I was the MJ Stark who had sent my computer to Steve Jobs. I said I was. He said, haltingly, why did you do that? I told him, keeping it simple, that I'd called the mac rep in Puerto Rico with no satisfaction. He said, well, I'm sorry to hear that. But...we've gotten your mac from California. It's fixed. No charge. I started laughing and in my own calm, quiet and dignified way, not so quietly howled with wow. He said they'd be shipping it to me that day, free of charge as was directed from 'the head office' and confirmed my address. I said thanks. He ended the conversation saying, The next time you have a problem with your mac, please call me first. He was laughing too.

I got my computer back in perfect working order, and no note from Steve Jobs. But I didn't need one.  I had what I wanted. A confirmation of Belief. And that's my Steve Jobs story.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Here is part of his story. We'll miss you in the world, Steve Jobs, and hopefully, remember your lessons.

Some great Steve Jobs quotes. And I don't think there is a better tribute than this one.

Have a totally lived Thursday. Do something true.