Listening to the tone of his voice, you would never know that he had just found out that the place he had called home for so many years was now in ruins. It was Monday, September 6th when he got the call from his mother letting him know that Hurricane Frances had blown the roof off of their home and everything inside had been destroyed. It was later that afternoon when I found myself talking with him about his loss. He spoke in great detail of the pictures his mother was able to save and the select pieces of his grandmother's antique furniture that escaped without damage. "It pretty much just tore the roof off of the house and it was the rain that ruined everything" Steve said while he described the rain-soaked walls as they had collapsed to the ground and the bulldozing that was going to be required to clear away the rubble.
Hurricane Frances on September 2, 2004, as a Categ...
Steve Jobs with red shaw
Steve's Bed & BreakfastI could only imagine the pain he and his family were experiencing.
What took me by complete surprise was his reaction to my frequent "I am so sorry's." Steve simply stated, "It's just stuff. My family is okay, I am okay, the pictures are okay, all of that other stuff can all be replaced." The strength in his statement was truly genuine. I was confused as to whether or not he was masking his pain. Had the initial feeling of pain and anguish already been overcome and had he come to terms with what had happened? I found his reaction completely different from any response that would be common to this situation. In fact, the description of his brother's reaction was almost comforting to me. It seemed to be more of a human nature than Steve's more robotic retort.
Steve informed me of his...