The eulogy of Steve Jobs’s by his sister, novelist Mona Simpson, was published in The New York Times over the weekend, offering a touching look into the late Apple co-founder’s life and last days.
The speech, in a few deft strokes, sketches the outline of man who never stopped learning or trying to move forward. Simpson said that in the last year of his life he was still working on projects and reading about new subjects, including the paintings of Mark Rothko.
Jobs called Simpson, who delivered the speech at Jobs’s Oct. 16 memorial service, on Oct. 4 asking her to come to his house and speaking “like someone whose luggage was already strapped onto the vehicle, who was already on the beginning of his journey, even as he was sorry, truly deeply sorry, to be leaving us.”
Jobs faded over the day and by 2 p.m. — just hours after Apple wrapped its iPhone 4S event — could no longer be roused.
Hours before he slipped into unconsciousness, however, he did leave some enigmatic final words, which Simpson wrote in all capitals letters in her speech.
“Before embarking, he’d looked at his sister Patty, then for a long time at his children, then at his life’s partner, Laurene, and then over their shoulders past them. Steve’s final words were: OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW.”
Re: ‘Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.’
Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 12:46 pm
by psynapz
I know people who hope they go out suddenly or in their sleep, such that they "don't feel a thing."
I watched my father into his final couple of hours (also thanks to cancer), and my sister stayed with him, in his field of view, until he was gone. He wasn't able to utter any final words that I'm aware of, so sadly, whatever I don't remember him having said earlier that day, must have been his final words.
I see a sublime beauty in consciously experiencing the end of conscious experience, particularly in the supportive presence of loved ones.
But if you can just as likely fall off a motorcycle and get your skull squished like a bug under the tire of a dumptruck, where your last thought was "shit, that dumptruck is too close, waaaaugh I'm wiping out! This is gonna suck!" and have no idea you're having your last thought, or if you can go to sleep and have a heart attack from all the pysiological chaos of REM state without you or anyone around you realizing it until you just don't wake up in the morning, then what's that say about the experience of passage to another world, of the white-lit tunnels and ushering toward by the dearly and previously departed of NDE fame, when you can just not wake up again and never know the knowing that Steve knew as he was forming that third and final "wow"?
Re: ‘Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.’
Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 3:26 pm
by Stephen Morgan
According to Fortean Times a psychic had claimed that he's voluntarily gone to the afterlife to pioneer a new afterlife scientific venture with Alexander Graham Bell.
Re: ‘Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.’
Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 8:07 pm
by Simulist
"Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow."
— Steve Jobs
Steve was probably pretty surprised when, as St. Peter was checking that list in the Book of Life, the dreaded Blue Screen came up.
Re: ‘Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.’
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 9:20 am
by Hammer of Los
..
Does Any One Know what it Is to be Blinded by The Light?
Put Yourself aside and you mayFind Out!
Shhh though.
The Good News is a Secret.
..
Re: ‘Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.’
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2011 12:40 am
by Simulist
Hammer of Los wrote:..
Does Any One Know what it Is to be Blinded by The Light?
Yes. It is a mind-shatteringly beatific experience. The ability to function as before becomes at once impossible, grieved-for from time-to-time, and eventually laid to rest.
The term "new creature" comes to mind. As does "fish out of water" -- put back in the water.
I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy -- but I might hope for it, eventually, for my best friend.
Re: ‘Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.’
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 10:11 am
by Stephen Morgan
Simulist wrote:
Hammer of Los wrote:..
Does Any One Know what it Is to be Blinded by The Light?
Yes. It is a mind-shatteringly beatific experience. The ability to function as before becomes at once impossible, grieved-for from time-to-time, and eventually laid to rest.
The term "new creature" comes to mind. As does "fish out of water" -- put back in the water.
I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy -- but I might hope for it, eventually, for my best friend.
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
And, verily, so on.
And don't think I haven't noticed you stealing my sig, either.
Re: ‘Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.’
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 1:40 pm
by Simulist
"Stealing" your "sig"? If you're addressing me, and if my current signature line is one that you used to possess, I guess I never noticed.
If it is, and if you'd like, I'll happily change mine to something altogether different.
Re: ‘Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.’
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 2:02 pm
by Stephen Morgan
Simulist wrote:"Stealing" your "sig"? If you're addressing me, and if my current signature line is one that you used to possess, I guess I never noticed.
If it is, and if you'd like, I'll happily change mine to something altogether different.
You take me too seriously, Sim. Just don't come around the Linux Questions forum with it, I still use it over there I think.
Re: ‘Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.’
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 2:12 pm
by Simulist
Stephen Morgan wrote:
Simulist wrote:"Stealing" your "sig"? If you're addressing me, and if my current signature line is one that you used to possess, I guess I never noticed.
If it is, and if you'd like, I'll happily change mine to something altogether different.
You take me too seriously, Sim. Just don't come around the Linux Questions forum with it, I still use it over there I think.
Thanks, Stephen. I didn't realize.
Even though, as you say, I might be taking you "too seriously" on this, I happily went ahead, and changed my signature line to an old favorite of mine for now.
Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 10:45 am