Renovatio

When you say "life", some will envision a single chain of events - with a single beginning and a conclusive end. They will see an idyllic stream, from point A to B - an unobstructed sequence - constant and unbroken til our singular demise. But such individuals have surely been deceived, for the rest of us are left to endure a more ruthless variation, aware of a far crueler, recurring semblance of death: one that spares the body and ravages the soul. Whether it is with betrayal or heart break, shame or rage, anguish or sorrow, our spirits are stabbed, beaten, and torn: ultimately consumed in unfortunate flame. And for an eternity, it may seem to have disappeared, lost to the cold brutality of the world - and perhaps it has.
But from the gaping void of despair, a soul can be redeemed; from the depths of sorrow, a life can be rebuilt; and from the darkest of ashes, the dead can be reborn - again and again and again.
For life is never one-dimensional. Rarely is it ever a straight and continuous line. It is an ever-shifting direction, a montage of failures and breakdowns, restarts and do-overs, conquests and upsets. It is the steady beat of our heart, the persisting rhythm of our enduring soul as we make our bittersweet journey through birth, death, and rebirth.
I don’t know. I could be over-sentimentalizing it all but I thought this was a beautiful gesture. After all those years of fierce competition and rivalry for market share, to me this says that even a corporate giant can set aside business for a day to honor the passing of an unquestionable visionary. Google’s homepage is unadorned, save for the single link on Steve Jobs’ name. Click on it, and the link will take you, not to some self-promoting search query on Steve, but directly to the Apple website, where his former company offers its own tribute. It’s not an ad. It’s not for revenue or publicity. It’s not even for Google’s benefit.  It’s respect. Simple, unembellished, and profound. It’s one giant waving goodbye to another, in the classiest and deepest way it knows how. 

I don’t know. I could be over-sentimentalizing it all but I thought this was a beautiful gesture. After all those years of fierce competition and rivalry for market share, to me this says that even a corporate giant can set aside business for a day to honor the passing of an unquestionable visionary. Google’s homepage is unadorned, save for the single link on Steve Jobs’ name. Click on it, and the link will take you, not to some self-promoting search query on Steve, but directly to the Apple website, where his former company offers its own tribute. It’s not an ad. It’s not for revenue or publicity. It’s not even for Google’s benefit. 

It’s respect. Simple, unembellished, and profound. It’s one giant waving goodbye to another, in the classiest and deepest way it knows how.