My Idols

This has been a very sad year for my idols. I do not have many but tragedy has struck in several camps. Steve Jobs, a man who I consider more impactful than JFK or Martin Luther King has left us. His genius, vision and passion have been extinguished. While I have great hope that the people left behind at Apple will be able to put forth new fabulous products that continue to be designed better than anyone elses, packaged better than anyone elses and offer function that is creative and superior I sense that the spark and passion are gone.
I felt this was evident in the big Apple event that occurred the day before their leader's death (which I believe he hung on to see and then let go). It has been documented that many people can hang on for very specific events (weddings, holidays etc) and I think this was the case here.

As I sit and I sit and write this at Starbucks Steve Jobs is all around, Many people are on iphones and I pads, the music playing can be identified on an iphone due to a relationship between starbucks and apple. When I buy my coffee I get a free song to download to itunes.
He has changed so much about our lives, how we listen to music, where we listen to music. Imagine we can have our entire music library with us all the time if we want. That is a far different cry from when I went to college or moved into my apartment with dozens of very heavy milk crates filled with record albums. How we buy music, watch tv shows  and movies, connect with each other, access the world at our fingertips any where we are at any time. We do it all on the most beautifully designed products that you can't help but desire them and feel great about owning them.





In my own life as the daughter of the electronics buyer at Bloomingdale's I have grown up seeing new innovation. I remember when my father brought home the first Texas Instruments calculator. Watched his department transform from radios and TV's (mostly console TV's) and records to cassettes, boom boxes, walkmen and more. So I always love being on the cutting edge, and Steve liked that too. Never one to rest on his laurels he was always working on the "one more thing" and he pretty much always delivered.

In my personal life the magical iPad has been truly magical. It has helped my little guy read and work on his motor skills (he has a learning disability) and has also helped my almost 80 year old mom,who has dementia, (we have to take it away from her so she will eat her meals) but playing all the word games and reading books on it is keeping her mind working and she does not seem to be losing any ground.

It never fails to amaze me that in my knitting group of approx 20 knitters of ranging ages (probably 35 and up) every member has either an iPad or iPhone. We are connected not only at our get togethers but we have a ravelry group,  a Facebook page, and many games of words with friends and hanging with friends. Apple is frequently discussed at knit night almost as much as knitting.

I hope that Apple will be able to maintain its visons minus it's visionary leader. Steve's death is devastating to so many but his life has made everything better for so many.

May he look down always and see how wonderfully he has changed so many lives and smile at all his accomplishments.




Then there is Clarence Clemons....I have been a huge Bruce fan since 1975 when Born to Run came out. The pictures here are pictures that I took at MSG when my dad mail ordered me front row seats to the Darkness  tour. My friend Peter was head of security and he let me bring in my camera. I have probably seen Bruce Springsteen and the E street Band over 50 times. Seeing them made everything good. Some of my very happiest times were at those shows- Big, Small, close , far they were always amazing. A big part was due to the "BIG MAN" Clarence Clemons. He could play that sax like no other. His playful personality with Bruce really added to every show. I was devastated when Clarence passed away in June of this year. The band can NEVR be the same (if they even ever play again). 
I remember in college going down to the shore to Clarences Club- Big Man's West in Red Bank. We saw Clarence there and it was there that I met Bruce for the first time.

Those were great times. While i do hope Bruce and the band will tour again it can never be what it was and every time I hear a sax for the rest of my life I will always think of  Clarence.