Steve Jobs is dead. I remember when I found out I was sitting in my editing and layout class. One of my friends retweeted the news, and I grew lightheaded and dizzy.

Some classmates of mine didn’t know who Jobs was, and I was shocked. Ironically, they all sat at Mac computers.

I do connect with Jobs. While I wasn’t adopted like he was, I have had to work for everything I have.

It’s an inspiration to think of how many times he could have given up and didn’t.

He and Steve Wozniak started Apple in Jobs’ parents garage when he was 20, and 10 years later Apple grew into a $2 billion company with over 4,000 employees. Then Jobs was fired.

Jobs was quoted saying getting fired was the best thing ever to happen to him because during the next five years he started a company named neXT and a company named Pixar.

Apple then bought neXT and Jobs returned to Apple.

When Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Jobs said the doctors told him he would die in three to six months. For the entire day, he thought he was going to die very soon until later that evening the doctors determined his cancer could be cured through surgery. And it was.

When Jobs stepped down as CEO of Apple I was nearly as upset that day as when I found out he died. I had my suspicions.

And I was right. A little more than a month later, Jobs died.

No, I didn’t know Jobs personally. I’ve never met him. I’ve never even seen him in person. But, I do know I have heard his story and it’s something I will forever be touched by.

If Jobs can live as an orphan, go through pancreatic cancer and get fired from a company he created I can stop whining about my life a little bit.

His death is truly distressing. Fifty-six is too young to die.

In the words of Jobs, “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.”