Adeola Aderounmu

Steve Job has left an indelible mark on the sand of time.

He is one of the few men who believe that simple ideas back with concrete actions can change the world.

I am not an IT expert so I can’t do xray analyses of his job and his executive roles in Apple.

I remember how the news of his exit from mainstream Apple humbled me and my friend in August. We just didn’t know that he would leave permanently so soon afterwards.

Apple has many critics and a number of competitors. It’s natural. I bought a Samsung surf pad because I wanted to have unlimited access to applications but it doesn’t take away my love for my I-phone 3GS or for Ipad2 that was the opportunity cost of my 10.1 Tab.

In such a short history and limited space of time Steve gave the world the best of quality and durability.
For all the successes he kept a reasonably low profile and led a quiet life.

There are only a few men who can sustain their fame and successes at that optimum range.

We’ve seen and heard several stories of successful and wealthy men/women who went bankrupt because they could not manage their successes. Many men/women get intoxicated with wealth and they soon lose focus and track. Some died because they could not manage their fame and money.

It is not a function of the trade or business which we ply. In some ways our take on/aftermath of successes and wealth may be a function of our mentalities. How these connect to our intellectual capacities/education may be open for debate.

But we must try to separate Steve from Apple no matter how difficult that may be. He was a person. He was straight forward and sincere. No one has told me how he boasted. He is probably humility personified.

From those of us with backgrounds in Africa where our rulers are cruel and thoughtless we wished they could picture a life of Steve Jobs and see that services and dedication to humanity cannot be sacrificed at the altar of fame and successes.

The question of the pursuit of happiness remained to be answered. Satiation or the absence of it can also be viewed from the point of view of personal satisfaction or personal fulfillment.

What about the role of motivation?

Why some men are motivated to impact positively on our lives while other people are dangerously inspired to impact negatively even without seeing it that way remains a curious question? This is the danger of living in for example

Nigeria where there is almost absence of checks and balances. Probity is gone with the winds.

Living in denial is self-crucifixion. It is hard to absorb the diverse opinions that have permanently relegated service and deliverance of good governance to the archive in Nigeria.

With Steve Jobs in my mind I am convinced that a simple life can avail much. In Steve Jobs a simple life did much than the arrogance and stupidity of corrupt leaders. It has more effect than vain prayers and empty worships.

It is what I’d always thought will prevail that one day people who took too much or thought too much about themselves will see how simple things, even simple actions can change the world forever.

Thank you Steve for the examples you gave, for your speeches, for the things you did or produced and for the future that will be shaped based on your contributions.

A rare gem is gone. Adieu!

R.I.P