I do not often write blog entries which reference other blog articles. However, I recently came across a truly delightful post entitled, Jeffrey Aaronson’s Improbable Journey with Steve Jobs, the Guy Who Changed His World (and Ours).
Jeffrey Aaronson is a noted artist and photojournalist who befriended a young Mr. Jobs at the beginning of Steve’s amazing journey.
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In this article, Jeffrey’s wife Becky describes her husband’s friendship with Mr. Jobs, including the celebration of Steve’s 30th birthday, Steve’s meeting with Mick Jagger and frequent encounters when strangers who were dismissive of a young, disheveled Jobs, who, despite his celebrity within the business world, was many years away from becoming an American icon.
The article opens with a touching scene:
FEBRUARY 1984: It’s a classic winter day in Aspen, and snow is falling like heavy cotton as Jeffrey sits hunched over his light table editing film. As he lowers his loupe for a moment and glances up from his slides, he suddenly notices a flash of brown amidst all the white outside his window. A UPS truck is pulling up in front of his studio. He isn’t expecting a package so curiosity tickles his frontal lobe.
In a matter of minutes Jeffrey finds himself staring at a large white box sitting on his studio floor. He can do little more than shake his head and smile when he sees the word Macintosh printed on its side, along with its signature design.
When Jeffrey opens the box, he finds a brand new Apple Macintosh 128K computer along with a keyboard and a new thing called a mouse. He also finds a hand-written note from Steve Jobs. It simply says, “Be a part of the future—Steve.”
Read It For The Photos
In addition to Becky’s excellent prose, the article includes a number of Jeffrey’s photos of Jobs, many of which are previously unpublished.
The article concludes with a first-hand description of Steve’s 30th birthday party, which Jeffrey attended. The video below was shown at the birthday celebration. The images, including the final one of Steve mocking the stereotype of an old-school business tycoon, are especially poignant with his passing.
Please take a moment out of your busy day to read Jeffrey Aaronson’s Improbable Journey with Steve Jobs, the Guy Who Changed His World (and Ours).
The ease with which Steve befriended Jeffrey (a member of the “The Media Establishment” no less), at a time when he was running a once-in-a-generation startup that demanded 150% of his energy and focus, will hopefully remind you that no one is ever too busy to be kind and slow down long enough to make a new friend.
Image source: ©Jeffrey Aaronson.
