Most readers recognize the name of the late Steve Jobs (1955-2011) as the Apple founder.
It is well known that he was the overseer/inventor of many of the wildly desired electronic ‘toys’ currently popular especially with the younger set, think iphone, ipad, ipod,itunes among other innovative computer based wonders.
I read recently that Mr. Jobs’ sister who was with him when he died had stated that her brother’s last words were, “Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.” Of course no one could definitively say exactly what he was responding to but some surmise that he might have had a vision of the hereafter or a sudden insight about a lingering problem that had confounded him or even a final realization that the end of his life was imminent.
I believe that everyone, famous or not, has his/her milder ‘wow’ moments although perhaps at that very precise moment, there was not a realization of its major significance or maybe it was stored in the “never forget” part of the brain.
What might some of them have been and have you shared any of these “wow” moments?
Foremost for many would be when you met Mr/Ms. Right, fell in love, said I do, witnessed the birth of a child, heard the child say his first word and saw him take his first step.
Then there are the special moments associated with school, such as turning to leave the little one alone at the first grade classroom door, signing his first report card, listening to him recite ‘what I did in school today’ events, consoling him when he has been disappointed or maybe injured, watching him hit a softball and running safely to first base.
But there are other ‘wow’ moments not child oriented such as finishing school, being handed your school diploma, getting your first job and earning your first check, being promoted for doing a good job.
Then there are the “fantasy” wow moments that never happened: winning the lottery, being voted MVP on a major league team, being honored by your peers for an outstanding accomplishment such as saving someone’s life, winning a gold medal at the Olympics, discovering a miracle cure for a heretofore incurable disease, wiring a bestselling novel, having your life made into an Academy Award winning movie, winning the Boston Marathon, hearing your son say, “I love you, Dad/Mom.”
Other more realistic ‘wow’ moments might include a report from your doctor who used the word ‘benign’ to describe your illness, acting as best man in a son’s wedding, being called Grandpa, parachuting free fall when you reach 60, being voted Samaritan of the Year by your church, being known as a good neighbor.
Except for the ‘fantasy’ wow moments, most of these goals are actually attainable meaning that for most of us, the ‘wow’ moments are really possible but there is a price that has to be paid.
Are you willing to pay the price?
Wow!!!
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Bill Lee
PO 128
Hamer, SC 29547
