Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.  ~Niccolò Machiavelli

You know I saw this video posted, over and over again on Facebook.  I will admit I did watch it a few times, just being so surprised by the content, and more surprised by the commentator.  Yes it was Ashton Kutcher, correction Chris.

It seemed like he was waiting to give this speak, waiting for the perfect time, waiting for the most influential audience, the Teen Choice Awards.  Yes the teens.  It’s like he specifically and methodically chose his audience.  Wise move on his end!

But what really made me watch and listen to his carefully chosen words, was the content, the real guts of his speech.  He purposefully chose phrases to capture everyone’s attention, yet turned those preconceived catchphrases, those arresting words into his own to really drive his point home.

Never disliking, nor never really being a huge fan of Mr. Kutcher’s, (expect I loved Punked) I would have never listened heard about his speech if it were not for friends of mine who were impressed with the actors message.  The message of hard work, using your head and living life to the fullest.  Pretty heavy topics, especially for an acceptance speech.  Kudos to Ashton for taking a stand and caring about the youth of America!

What really makes his communication impactful, is that it came from him.  The movie star him who is normally a silly goofy type of guy that seems to be a screw around and not to be taken seriously.  In all reality I bet he has worked hard and recognizes it.  He seems to appreciate good old fashioned blood, sweat and tears, especially when others do the same.

Going back to his message, and rolling it over again and again in my head, I wonder, what sparked this on?  Then to take it a step further, did he really write that speech?  I’m not saying he’s an idiot, because on the contrary I think he’s anything but.  However, it just seemed a bit heavy for him.

Although,  I do truly believe he was sincere in what he was saying.  I do believe Ashton has a big heart and is a hard worker.  Not that I have anything to go off of, I mean I’ve never met the man, I’ve never even seen him in person and I’ve never really followed any of his interviews.  Yet, I do believe he meant those words wholeheartedly.  I do believe he is humble inside and he has a strong work ethic.  I do sincerely believe he is a good person.  Despite any of his public  issues.  Of course, I believe some things are private and should be handled as such, but I guess the media doesn’t listen to me.

Wonder if making the movie Jobs opened the actors eyes?  Learning about Steve Jobs and acting his role, I’m sure was quite an experience for the actor.  Even though playing roles for the big screen, I still think actors personally change with each movie.  I’m sure they learn new ways of thinking and realities that are quite the opposite of their own, at least the good ones do, and they see life differently.  Who knows maybe it was totally unrelated, something someone said to him.  I’m sure I’ll never really get my answer, unless Ashton Kutcher shows up on my doorstep to chit chat over tea or a beer or something.  Maybe it’s personal to him?  And therefore really none of my business.  But regardless, I’m still curious.

Maybe I’m just taking this to heart because he spoke words that I have always believed in and lived by.  Anyone who really knows me, knows I’m a silly, off the wall, hyperactive artsy type.  It’s true, yet I’m also a very hard working, putting myself through college, twice, and working three jobs at one time in my younger days; and I’m a structured driven entrepreneur.  I come from a family of blue collared, physically demanding hard workers.  Even to this day, I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty, literally, I help my dad chop and stack wood every year.  Getting dirty and breaking a sweat in places other than a gym to accomplish a job is no big deal to me.  In fact, I appreciate it.  The opportunity to build character and have a sense of accomplishment.  Something I’m trying to instill in Kyle.

Trying not to look the gift horse in the mouth, I plan on showing Kyle this video.  It may or it may not mean anything to him, but it never hurts to use a good example when it presents itself.  I will say this with all sincerity, Kyle already knows a great brain and mind is what it takes to rule the world.  I never had to tell him, he just always knew.

The Steve Jobs movie looks really good and I can’t wait to see it.  I hope it truly portrays our recently deceased Apple genius.  Reading a few books on the innovator, I am curious what they will bring to light and what will be hidden to those who don’t care, or don’t care to really read about such a unique and troubled man.

Well done Ashton, well done!  Take the time to see the clip for yourself and really hear what he has to say.  You’ll be impressed!

See below and let me know your thoughts.

At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of parents.  ~ Jane D. Hull

You know, more than not, Kyle manages to pleasantly surprise me.  The other day I was watching TV and I received a couple text messages from Kyle from his new iPod Touch I got him for Christmas.  First I’d like to say, when Kyle is not with my family he is missed terribly and we are always wondering what he’s up to.  So, needless to say, receiving an unprompted text message from Kyle made my night.  On a side note, like most 10 year old kids, Kyle doesn’t like to talk to family members more than needed, especially when a game awaits his attention.  But what really threw me off guard, earlier that day, was when dad and I Facetimed Kyle right after school (not his choice).  I wanted to make sure he was still alright from when we were Playing Chicken With a Drunk Driver.  Anyway, he was texting to see if he could take his new iPod Touch to school and daycare.  Can you believe it?  How sweet and responsible!  I naturally replied, “Surely, it’s yours.”  Then I texted him, “Did you practice your piano and guitar?”  The response I got was, “I took a shower and I’m ready for bed”, followed by “I got an A on my spelling test.”  After congratulating him, I asked him to go practice his instruments before bed.  He then texted me back asking to Facetime.

What a pleasant surprise!  He wanted me to hear him practice his piano, guitar, and trumpet.  Not to mention, if I know Kyle, he doesn’t like doing anything by himself and he lives for attention and compliments.  So this was an easy win-win for him.  We made a little chit chat before he laid down the iPod Touch while he went through the notes on his guitar.  Sometimes the signal would break up a bit but, for the most part, it was pretty clear.  While I was listening, I had to watch the his ceiling fan spin.  It kind of made me a little motion sick, so I couldn’t look the entire time.  Then, every once in a while, Kyle would peek the top of his head into view.  He looked like a groundhog popping its head up and down.  Usually, all I saw was the top of his head down to his nose.  It was actually kind of funny.

Next, Kyle had to move to another room where his keyboard was set up.  Instead of a ceiling fan, I got to watch the ceiling and the corner of the wall.  I kept waiting for the head popping into view and I got my wish several times.  He also kept checking to make sure I was paying attention, which I certainly was trying to be the best audience via Facetime.  Then came the trumpet.  He played a song two or three times before he wanted to move onto a more important item… his Lego Star Wars Death Star!

When he said he was done and I finished complimenting him and letting him know how happy I was that he finished his work before bed, Kyle decided he wanted a new picture for his wallpaper of his iPod Touch.  He asked me if I would go to the kitchen and take a picture of the Lego Star Wars Death Star. I did and then he wanted me to instruct him on how to add the picture.  It was getting late, so I told him I would help him out the next day.

Kyle taking a pic of himself on iBooth

Well the next day came, and Kyle didn’t forget.  He texted me right after school while I was at work.  I was busy with email and told him to hold the thought.  In the meantime, he figured out how to add the picture.  Apple products are so easy a kid can pick it up and understand how to use it. (That was actually in the Steve Jobs book.)  We continued to text back and forth until I received an invite to Facetime.  What?  He didn’t know how to Facetime the day prior, but now he’s all over it.  You see, it was last Wednesday and I leave work a little early to pick him up for swimming lessons.  I was texting him, asking that he practice his instruments before I get there.  Well, evidently he wanted an audience again.  So I leaned my phone beside me so he could see me when the phone wasn’t facing the ceiling and I explained that I was going to address emails while he played.  He seemed fine with that and continued through his lessons.  It was kind of neat, communicating with Kyle, even though it was via phones.

Kyle made my days more enjoyable!  He even graced the office with his music, which bellowed from the tiny phone speakers.  Yep, unconventional gifts rock!  Giving Kyle the gift of music, games, communication, and handheld fun, in turn, gave me the gift of family communication and involvement!  Win-Win!

A musician must make his music, an artist must paint, a poet must write if he is to ultimately be at peace with himself.  ~Abraham Maslow

Kyle with his first Thomas the Train set. Courtesy of Aunt Nikki

It seems as though some people are born into professions rather than are taught.  I’ve watched this theory strengthen through observations over the years.  It seems as though being true to your profession means it is an innate part of you.  Now I’m not saying this is a blanket statement for everyone, but I’ve always known this to be true for people of the clergy.  Certain individuals are chosen by God to serve Him in a specific blessed way that others aren’t called to do so.

Along the way, I’ve had the honor of meeting such talented people.  For example, I’ve known many artists, but there are only a couple that I can say not only have a natural talent, but their profession is a part of them.  It is who they are.  They can’t stop drawing or painting or whatever the case may be.  It consumes them and their thoughts.  It’s like their existence, their reason to live, is art.  It’s not just a passion, it’s more, it seems to be part of their DNA.  This is not a judgement nor a criticism, but an observation.  Again, there are a lot of artists, whom I would consider to be truly talented and really enjoy what they do, but I’m not talking about them, I am referring to a different breed of people. Those who don’t need a vacation from their profession.  Those who have had a life long passion for what they do.  Off the top of my head, Henri Matisse comes to mind.  I’m not saying I knew him, but I have studied his works.  During his last days, when most would have retired, he gave direction to interns on how to expedite his cutouts.  Another famous art figure is Edgar Degas.  When Degas’ hands were becoming crippled from old age, he sculpted the La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans (Little Dancer of 14 Years) in wax before being cast in bronze and adorned with ribbon and a skirt.  It was easier on his hands to sculpt in warm wax.  I also wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t mention my favorite painter, Caspar David Friedrich.

Watching Kyle grow up, I’ve had the opportunity to really study his behavior.  I’ve seen the way he enjoys putting together 500 and 1,000 piece puzzle sets, without effort.  From the time he was about three years old till he discovered video games, around the age of six or seven, he was the self-proclaimed “Puzzle Boy”.  He used to put together his puzzles on the coffee table and say, “Look pap pap, I’m puzzle boy.”  He loved the challenge of bigger puzzle sets, and I mean bigger in terms of the number of pieces.  He didn’t care what the picture was on the puzzle, just that it had a ton of tiny pieces.  I used to buy Kyle large notepads to draw and paint pictures but, alas, he could care less.  He would watch me paint and draw, but he never really had the desire, unless he was painting numbers.  I don’t mean paint by numbers, I mean actually painting the shapes of numbers, and then sometimes doing math problems.

I took this picture in the Museum D’Orsay in Paris. Little Dancer of 14-Years – Edgar Degas

Over the years I would watch Kyle build.  He would take building blocks, cardboard boxes, books, you name it, he always had to build.  It first started with the Thomas the Train set.  He would build tracks that consumed the entire living room floor, eventually pushing himself by making the track more challenging, curving over other pieces of track, getting to another section.  Then Kyle discovered Legos.  That’s all I have to say.  This kid is still such a Lego nut, sometimes that’s all he talks about.  Building this, building that.  He’s even told me about some of his dreams and, you know what, they include building Legos.  He has close to every Lego set made on the planet, his favorite being Star Wars.  Every now and again, I catch him writing papers for school and explaining how much he loves to build and how good he is.

My theory wouldn’t do justice unless I explained what happened in convenience stores on a number of occasions.  When Kyle was a little tike and I would grab a bottle of water, Kyle would actually push the other bottles toward the front, that is if they didn’t slide down on their own.  Then he would proceed to straighten the bottle so the labels were facing front.  In fact, we would put juice boxes in the refrigerator for him and he would straighten them.  They were placed at his height and he would go in the fridge, straighten the boxes so they were in a perfect line and all the labels were facing front, sometimes stacking them.  It would creep me out when I opened the refrigerator door.  It was like the movie “Sleeping with the Enemy” when Julia Roberts opened the cupboard and saw all the cans straightened perfectly.  Yep, that was Kyle, although not a neat freak in the slightest.  He just likes straight lines and uniformity.

Me standing by a Friedrich in Berlin! Yes, that’s a T-shirt I got from the Saatchi Gallery.

As the years went on, I would see true engineering traits being displayed by Kyle.  He has become more like my sister, who is an electrical engineer.  Come to think of it, much of my immediate family are engineers or builders in some form or fashion.  Once, Kyle pulled out his stylus from his 3DS and proceeded to examine how it was put together.  Recently, last Wednesday, Kyle took my sticky tabs, those pop-up tabs you used to mark a page or to mark a section in a document that needs signed.  I watched him as he examined its functionality.  He said, “O, I see how it works.”  Then he went into this dissertation on how the item was assembled so it works properly.  Sometimes Kyle tells me his own theories on how some things should be put together and the better way to do it.  It’s really pretty neat to watch his thoughts.  I am currently reading the Steve Jobs book.  Not that I ever met Steve Wozniak, but Kyle does remind me of him, at least according to how he’s portrayed in the book in his early days.  To me, Steve Wozniak was a true engineer, it was an innate part of him, part of his DNA.  He could not have been anything else.

I’m not one of those rare individuals who has a special part of my DNA structured for a specific profession.  I can do a little of a lot of things, but not a true profession.  My only talent, so I’ve been told, is the ability to change the attitude of people around me and have them follow me.  At least that’s what I’ve been accused of.  At that thought, Jasper Hale (Twilight) comes to mind.

Kyle had to describe himself… building made the list twice.

I’m now wondering if we, as a society, have allowed the distractions and challenges to change or alter our true calling.  Maybe it’s ’cause you need to put food on the table and a shirt on the back, which is the responsible thing to do, just maybe not the most romantic.

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. ~Steve Jobs

I think this is the start of something really big. Sometimes that first step is the hardest one, and we’ve just taken it. ~ Steve Jobs

…The crazy ones, we see genius, the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do. ~Steve Jobs

.. almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. ~Steve Jobs

I was checking Kyle’s math homework when they interrupted the news saying that Steve Jobs had passed away.  To be honest, I was not expecting that, even though I knew he had health issues and I suspected he was not doing well.  I was speechless.  Kyle saw the breaking news headline and I know he saw my expression.  He immediately asked, “Who was that?”  My response was, “He was a very smart man – a legend.”  Then the news went into a snippet about Steve, his accomplishments, etc.  So Kyle, unfazed by the shocking news, started talking to me and I immediately shushed him up.  “Let me hear this, buddy.  I really can’t believe it.” And as they talked about his survivors,  his wife and four children, all I could muster was, “That poor family.”

At this point Kyle realized that this news means something to me.  He then asked, “Who was he?” Silly me, it never dawned on me that Kyle didn’t know who Steve Jobs was.  After I watched the tribute I turned to Kyle and said, “Honey, he was the inventor and CEO of Apple.”   Kyle gave me one of those sideways looks, like a dog does that makes them look so confused, but awfully cute.  I said, “Because of him, we have my iPhone, our iMac, my Macbook Pro…the iTouch…the one to help pixar off the ground.  You know, Toy Story, Cars….”  Then it hit him!  He understands those devices, using them pretty regularly. He said, “O I like playing my games on your phone Aunt Heather.”  O Kyle, I guess he is, after all, a ten year old boy.

That started Kyle talking about his “maybe” iTouch gift for Christmas.  He asked how many days there were till Christmas, knowing he is always excited about Christmas (for the wrong reasons).  He said, “I can’t wait to get my iTouch, Aunt Heather.”  I said “You think?”  He gave me this look of, ‘I know it’ and ‘Look how sweet I am, Aunt Heather’.  I said, “Only if you play your cards right.”  He looked so confused saying, “What cards?  What do you mean?”  I laughed and said, “It’s a figure of speak, it means you better be good.”

Then, in our ride back to Kyle’s house, my sister called and immediately I said, “What am I going to do if Apple goes downhill? What if my computer is never the same? I can’t start using a PC, it won’t be the same!”  As I briefly talked to my sister, I realized Kyle was listening because he all of a sudden blurted out, “It’s a good thing I downloaded my game on the PC.”  I started to laugh and said, “Kyle nothing is going to happen to the iMac since Steve died, the computers are all fine, your games are fine.  I am talking about the future of the company.”  Ahh again, a ten year old boy…

While in the car, he asked me, “What made him so great?”  Wow, that was a loaded question.  I said, “Honey, he was a rare person.  He was smart, innovative, persistent, and a true visionary.”  Kyle asked me what a visionary was and the only way I could explain it was probably lame but he got the point.  I said, “Some people have ideas, lots of ideas, but that’s it.  They sit on those ideas, either because they are not motivated, afraid to move forward, they’re lazy, or they just don’t know how to take those ideas and make them into something.  They are the people who sit back and are always saying, ‘I thought of that years ago.’  Then there are those people who do, they are task people.  You tell them what to do and how to do it and they get it done.  They really are not the idea people.  Both types are smart and have their place, but then there is a rare breed of individuals.  They are the ones who have the ideas and the vision and they know how to make it into something.  More than not, their ideas seem unrealistic and crazy at first.  They become true visionaries when they turn that idea into a reality.  They become a genius when they can turn their reality into a lifestyle.  And then you know they are an icon and household name when the evening news is interrupted by their passing.”

Thank you Steve Jobs. Rest in peace!