I was so saddened yesterday to hear of the passing of Steve Jobs.  I never met him and know very little about him personally but, like so many people, the loss of him feels so personal.

The first computers I ever knew were Apples– the Apple IIc’s at my elementary school.  My family’s first home computer was a classic Macintosh.  I drew a million pictures on MacPaint and printed them out on our dot matrix printer.  I attempted to play MacVegas, our only game, but had no idea about how gambling worked.  I just liked clicking buttons and hearing the sounds.  I did many a school assignment on that computer and was especially fond of using the Old English font in MacWrite whenever I could.

In college and law school, I bypassed the line of people waiting to use the PCs to use the Mac computers, which always sat unused for some reason.  I was one of the few people who knew how to use the Mac operating system and it felt like knowing a great secret.

When I started Ruly, my husband convinced me that I needed an iPhone and he was so right!  My business was built on Mac computing power.

I feel like I have lost a friend who has been with me all my life.  We will miss you, Steve Jobs!  Thank you for all that you have given the world and may your legacy of innovation continue to inspire future generations!

Every time I wear a black turtleneck, I will remember the artistic vision you imparted to your life and work.  May you rest in peace.