The cursor blinks on a blank Word document, in hungry anticipation of letters and punctuation to spill out of my fingertips. My midterm essay is not going to write itself. I check my phone for missed text messages and open my music player to my weekly song favorite from Adele. Time to get moving. I open an old essay on the Chesapeake Bay to remember the context of environmental policy debate.

But wait. How is it possible that I can sit here in 7th Street cafe typing on my computer, checking my phone, listening to music, and opening old documents? My technological devices are possible because of Steve Jobs and his innovations that have changed the world we know today. My Apple timeline:

2005-First Apple product: the iPod Mini. Light blue, 8G and super cool.

2006- First Apple computer: my MacBook, given as a gift for my 16th birthday. Love at first sight. The entire computer was located within the monitor and I spent hours exploring Garageband and iMovie.

2007- I bought an iPod Nano with Christmas money. Dark purple and slim.

2008- The college essentials: a MacBook Pro and free iTouch.

2010-Computer stolen in Denmark. New MacBook Pro. Prettier than before.

2011-First iPhone. Downloaded more than 25 apps in the first day.

-Got iPhone stolen out of my hand while walking in Washington, D.C. (see blog). Replacement iPhone sent to my house.

-My grandfather receives first Apple product as main form of Internet connection: the iPad.

So I’ve been surrounded by Apple products for the last six years. Apple is woven into our vernacular (when is the last time someone called a music device an mp3 player?) and remains at the top of companies creating cutting-edge, sleek and user-friendly products.

The Apple website has a small poignant statement:

His name in various forms of hashtags is flooding Twitter with #SteveJobs, #SteveJobslegacy, #Apple, #iSad etc. His numerous quotes about pursuing a job and life you love has been reposted again and again. In his commencement speech at Standard University in 2005, Jobs said:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Before, I was terrible with directions, never checked my e-mail, couldn’t listen to music on the go, and didn’t wake up in time for school. Now, with the help of a creative genius, I have an app for that. 

Thank you, Steve Jobs.