It amazes me how we can learn so much from people who you never met. Steve Jobs is such a person. The world has benefited technologically from him. However, I benefited personally from his wisdom about life. I have used his ideas in It is a shame that great people Steve Jobs. I have used his ideas in articles that I have written and especially his commencement speech at Stanford in 2005 about connecting the dots. There are articles with the video of this graduation address. In fact, I am attempting to get a Scottish paper to print an op-ed article of mine entitled: Connecting the Dots...Looking Back on all the Dots.

In addition, Jobs put meaning into my life in the last couple of weeks. I had returned from Myanmar/Burma during winter break from teaching. I have written the metamorphosis of me in that month in Myanmar. I had seen the light, but the nagging question was why. As I struggled attempting to explain that why question, I happened to listen to Jobs' connecting the dots address. Then it hit me. While I had figured bits and pieces even while in Myanmar, I did not have a complete handle on it. Nonetheless, I do now.

Jobs' word resonated within my head, "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards."Many of my dots over 7-decades started to connect. Trust me. That was an experience unlike anything that I have experienced in the past. I had found an eye-opening experience that caused me to the light.

When I tell people about my excitement and the dots connecting, most shake their heads with kind approval but surely do not see the level of excitement that have now about life and my experiences in it.

In addition, Steve Jobs gave the world so much, and we have benefited greatly. Then he gets Metastatic insulinoma, which is a rare type of pancreatic cancer, which metastasizes to other parts of the body. He died at the age of 56. While that was tragic, he did leave us all a legacy. He has made our stay on this pale blue dots called earth far more interesting and rewarding. While we cannot bring him back to live with us, we can use the various legacies that he has given us.

Therefore, I introduced Steve Jobs to my two grandsons, Jack and Owen. We talked about connecting the dots. Then I showed Jack and Owen about connecting the dots. Prior to connecting the dots, one cannot see reality. I gave Jack a picture of an airplane, which just a lot of dots. After connecting them, both of them saw the plane.

Jobs' word resonated within my head when I connected the dots in my experience while in Myanmar. In addition, Jack and Owen heard me repeat what Jobs said and meant about looking back upon the dots. "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards."

Owen is a bit confused by Jack connecting the dots at first. However, it was not long before he wanted to connect his own set of dots.

Jack sees the dots slowly coming together forming an airplane. Then Owen starts to connect the dots of a butterfly.

Owen is pondering what will be revealed after all the dots are connected.

Connecting the dots on these little drawings helped them understand Steve Jobs' truth. Twenty years from now when they reread this article, they will see the light even better. Nonetheless, Jobs left us his legacy to the world and to Jack and Owen.

Thanks, Steve.

This is Steve Jobs' commencement speech at Stanford in 2005.

An Old Man and His Grandson

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06/14/14