Died Too Late

I’ve run across yet another tribute to the late Steve Jobs extolling his brilliance, creativity and his humanity. While I understand the context, I regret that it was only after he died that Jobs was openly appreciated. It’s true, he exited stage left at the pinnacle of his career. We can only imagine what might have been if Jobs had not succumbed to his insidious disease. Imagine…

What might have been if his talents were honored before he died? Words of praise absorbed into his life and work – how would that have affected him? How would those words have motivated him, challenged him, applauded him, touched him?

Most of us die too late to hear our memorials spoken to the friends and family that are left to mourn us.

What if that wasn’t the case?

Whose life could be changed by a simple acknowledgement of gratitude? By a memorial before that person has transcended into memory?

What would they say?

Who would step forward?

Life is full of surprises. Steve Jobs lived his life in the future. He considered ‘what if…’ to be his creation mantra. What if we could carry our music collection in our pockets…what if we provide our phones with the capabilities of a small computer…what if we had a laptop that was the size of a writing tablet…what if…?

What if we didn’t wait until someone dies to wax nostalgic, to show our love and appreciation to our friends and family?

Why does death bring out the best in us?

We die too late to know what we bring to life. Pity, that.