Not sure what’s the odds, but just watched A little bit of heaven from Nicole Kassell. She isn’t usually my favourite director but this one hit me, hard.
You might wonder, even though each and every one of us is going to die sooner or later, but that unknown of certainty somehow fences off the fear and helplessness, yeah, feelings again. Imagine this, you now know it is close, you try to keep the hope high like many others, but damn sure you know it is coming, very soon, what do you do?
You don’t need me to tell you how much of an impact Steve Jobs has created, in the daily lives of yours and mine. I have no intention to run through the story of Apple family and all the tasteful products, ventures. What I am wondering is, how he did it, in the last days of his life, how he faced what was coming, what he chose to do and more importantly, what not to.
So in the movie, Marley is told that her day is coming. She went through the possible emotions, I would too, to realise that there is nothing you can do to avoid what’s going to happen, be angry, sad, nonchalant. What she really missed, was the fact that others around her will go on with their lives, one way or another. I know it is hard to swallow, but it starts to become obvious to me that it is not just about Marley anymore, it isn’t. Because she is loved, she is the other end of emotion linkage. Now the natural thing seems to be, how to fill in the gap which will be created, when she is gone, to return the love, take the responsibility.
Easy to say, I know. It seems insane to ask a dying man to hold on to all the commitment, responsibilities. Wrong, so wrong. We usually view these two things as heavy weight stuff, I mean really serious stuff, right? The truth is, a person with commitment, responsibilities is a happy one. I would have sense of fulfilment, sense of purpose to life, before anyone figures out the ultimate question. Those bonds are what define us. Be true to your heart, would you indulge yourself, not for a day, not for a week, but for eternity? All of sudden, what Steve did starts to make sense to me. It was sad to see his condition getting worse that he has to step down; it was only admiration when you look at his seven years of fighting with cancer. We don’t really see that, do we? I didn’t. I only see a man keeps breaking the rules, and keeps telling the world what it really wants to hear, in an honest way.
So Marley died, after planned her fun funeral party celebration.
Steve Jobs passed away, with little pieces of many hearts.
I did not realise I have tear in my face when Marley said to her friend “Renee, I’m just gonna say what I came here to say which is, I am sorry. It really hurts me when you started distancing yourself, but it’s ok, I get it. A new baby coming and me… leaving. It’s not fair having to be so happy and so sad at the same time, is it? Our friendship is one of the best things in my life and I am sorry that I’m not gonna getto know that little boy…”
Eric Schmidt in his tribute, quoted Steve, "Steve and I were talking about children one time, and he said the problem with children is that they carry your heart with them. The exact phrase was, 'It’s your heart running around outside your body.' ". Many coverage tell the story of how he arranged the last days of his life, on his terms. Steve Jobs called in to offer advice for iPhone 4S launch, right before his death. How much is it too much to say what one cares about his creation and what emotion attach is that?
Many seem to share the belief that Steve Jobs is one of those opinionated dog, although incomparable genius. I don't see it that way. I actually think Steve Jobs is a man full of emotion, not just passion, and his great ways of knowing what people want to hear and have, before we know them ourselves. He is the ultimate salesman - he has our trust, money, respect; now with him gone, pieces of our heart too. His genius is as much as in design, product strategy as in marketing, if not more.
Steve Jobs is not my hero. He merely taught me how to treat my life, or the rest of it.
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