Because Steve Jobs returned to Apple and saved the company (literally), I met Mr. Smith.
We got married and had these babies.
This moment, all of these moments really, have been brought to me by Mr. Jobs.
We started a business together that depends on the success of Apple and their products.
He was a genius and an innovator. A remarkable man in many ways. I don't think anyone can argue with that part.
He was also deeply, deeply flawed.
I have known people that interacted with him. For the most part, those brushes with the man were not pleasant. He was a cruel and sometimes abusive person. He was relentless and demanding. He demanded nothing less than absolute perfection. People who worked in Cupertino would turn and change direction to avoid running into him or, heaven forbid, being trapped on an elevator with him.
I do not agree with his methods, but it is hard to argue with the results.
An elevator ride could end with him firing you if you weren't nimble enough to respond to his probing interrogation correctly.
All the stories are true. The good ones and the bad ones.
He was a human being.
He was a human being who had a body that failed him.
When I learned that he had died (which, let's face it, was not a surprise to anyone) I was sad.
It makes me sad that we don't get to see what else he was capable of, but more than that, I feel real grief for his wife and children.
Steve and Laurene Jobs
I told Mr. Smith when I saw this photo that Steve Jobs had finished his last keynote, that he would not survive until the end of the year.
Unfortunately, I was right.
Anyway, in some small (or large) measure, I owe him a debt of gratitude.
He created a product that allows my children to learn to write, read, draw, you name it.
He made it possible for me to meet my soulmate.
The loss of him, but more importantly, his contributions, will resonate for a very long time indeed.