What I Learned About The Brilliant And Funny Steve Wozniak

This is the third installment of the New Jersey Speaker Series presented by Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Our third speaker was Steve Wozniak, inventor, electronics engineer and co-founder of Apple computers. As a contestant in Season 8 of "Dancing with the Stars" and appearing as himself on "The Big Bang Theory" Mr. Wozniak is a man who always wears many hats.

I thought that instead of writing an account of his speech I'd like to write an open letter to him.

Dear Mr. Wozniak,

I wanted to thank you for the fascinating talk you gave at the recent New Jersey Speaker Series at NJPAC. I have to be honest with you. I wasn't sure I'd be fascinated because I anticipated hearing a lot of technical engineering jargon that would go right over my head.

I confess that anything scientific sounds like a foreign language to me. Perhaps it's because my imagination was never sparked like yours at an early age, or maybe it has to do with the lack of passionate school teachers I happened to have in my formative years.

But I digress.

It's clear that as a child prodigy it was always about the engineering for you, applying your wealth of knowledge and creativity toward inventing something useful and clever for yourself and others.

I can't remember what I was working on when I was 26, but at that age you designed the hardware, circuit board designs and operating system for Apple I. The year before that you introduced to the world how a character displayed on a home screen could be generated from a home computer.

If I said that was amazing I'd be grossly understating those accomplishments.

I remember a world before Apple computers and I wouldn't want to go back. The brilliance of the computers you brought to all of us has helped me, and many others in the disability community, by making computers more user-friendly. For that I truly thank you.

I was excited about the opportunity for my husband, son and I to briefly chat with you at the "after party" while photographers snapped our photo. You endeared yourself to me when you answered our question, "Where are you going next?" by replying with great excitement, "Home, and I can't wait."

I admire how you lovingly speak about your parents. Your mother sounded like such a fun person, giving you your love of humor and pranks, which you had in common with Steve Jobs.

It was kind of naughty of you to build your own electronic metronome (tick, tick, tick) and place it in a school locker, rigging it to start faster when the locker opened.

But you more than made up for that prank later in life by proving that a successful entrepreneur can be generous. When Steve Jobs and the Board of Apple refused to give early employees stock options, you dug into your own pocket and gave them $10 million dollars of your own options because you felt, "It was the right thing to do."

You truly took your parents' lessons to heart.

As a Lockheed engineer your father stressed the importance of learning, but also taught you the importance of always being truthful. It was nice to hear that you made him a promise of always growing as an engineer but also to take time to teach others.

You fulfilled both promises.

Giving up your brilliant engineering career for awhile to teach fifth to eighth graders was a generous shift in careers and I, for one, applaud you for it.

I guess what I'm saying is there's so much more to "The Woz" than I ever knew, and it was fun getting to know you a little better. Seeing your highly energetic presentation in person, I enjoyed the last question from an audience member.

"Do you have some kind of oxygen tank attached to you, because you never seem to take a breath during your many stories?"

I marvel (and am a bit jealous!) at how much you accomplish in the course of a day, but I guess that's what catapulted you into the unprecedented career you've had. I can't wait to see what you'll be doing next.

Oh, one more thing. After I heard that you made a stop at Fairleigh Dickinson University before coming to NJPAC, I realized something special. Like our last speaker, Alan Alda (see my post about him here), you also dedicate yourself to teaching students about science. I thank you for encouraging them to aspire to be the next WOZ. Like your father, you are showing them by example to reach for the stars.

Sincerely yours,
Your newest fan, Cathy Chester

Photos: Fairleigh Dickinson University

Get Over It! Turn Your Pity Party Into A Dance Of Gratitude

"You’ve always had the power, my dear. You’ve had it all along.” ~Glinda, the Good Witch, The Wizard of Oz

Today I’m battling myself. Between bouts of anger are moments of joy, and in between each are millisecond dances of gratitude, self-pity and love. The conflict exhausts and energizes me; I am alive with emotion.

I’m dancing this familiar dance again, when my heart said yes and my mind said no. One step gracefully pirouettes toward an opportunity to spend time with a friend, another toward new and exciting opportunities.

But life is not a ballet, and our lives are sometimes out-of-step with our hearts and desires. And when that happens, as it does with MS, our spirits are dashed for the loss of another dance.

I was excited at the prospect of attending an important women’s conference a few hours from my home. Spending time in the company of successful and empowering women, along with spending quality time with a dear friend, was something I’ve been excited about for weeks.

But the weather was not on my side. Heavy rain was in the forecast, and unlike my younger self who never bothered to consider weather conditions, my poor nighttime and inclement weather vision forced me to cancel my plans.

How many times has MS interfered with my dances? How many times must I detest the need to draw attention to myself by explaining why I must cancel? My invisible illness always needs explaining.

If my body cuts my dance short, it's important that I make a point of being mindful of the blessings that are still very much a part of my life. I firmly believe it’s important to remind ourselves that, as Jon Kabat-Zinn said, “There’s more right with you than wrong.”

My pity party is over and I’m ready to move on. Life is too short to dwell on what’s out of our control. We need to focus on what is.

There will be other events and social gatherings to attend, and although this event was quite special I’m sure others are around the bend.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I want to live a positive life despite my MS. If I can’t walk I’ll write. If I can’t write I’ll talk. Whatever life has in store for me I’ll use the abilities I have to find a way to live the life I want.

Living a positive life despite any setbacks is a CHOICE. My MS is another person’s asthma, Lupus, heart disease or cancer. It could be the loss of a job, the fear of financial ruin or the sting of rejection. Or perhaps a marriage gone badly, a soured friendship or the loss of a pet.

The key to unlock the door of despair is to empower ourselves with the realization that life is basically good, and as Scarlett O’Hara said, “Tomorrow is another day.”

Take time to look around you. It’s what I always do. Take a walk, and then look up at the sky, smell the air and notice the colors and light in nature.

Think about the people you love, and who love you.

My dear friend, the one I was supposed to visit, completely understood why I needed to cancel. A few times in the past this has not been the case. I add her to my list of blessings.

I’ve often thought that the vastness of the world makes it clear that our anguish is an infinitesimally tiny matter. That one thought convinces me that my life will always go on, and our tiny corner of the world is amazing. It simply is.

Somehow, with a sigh of relief, that makes everything feel alright.

What are you thankful for?

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