In ancient times there were only three Muses. Then the number was increased to seven and later to nine. That was all we needed for several millinia to rule over the human arts, all of them. Calliope ruled the art of Writing, Cleo ordered History, Erato was in charge of Love and it's poems.
Those are the three we mostly speak of these days, but there are six more of them that were given to us by the Ancient Ones, and these six ruled Song, Tragedy, Hymns, Dance, Comedy and Astronomy. The Greeks gave them to us, and all of the Human Experience could be covered under the roof provided by one or another of them from before Homer's time until the last half of the twentieth century.
Then a man was born who changed all this. He created another discipline, one that was a marriage of both the written and the spoken word and technology. The technology he expanded upon had been created in his childhood and his genius brought it into the everyday life of people around our planet.
First, Steve Jobs gave every average man the power to calculate thousands of times faster than our fathers could ever have dreamed of, and to store and retrieve more information than anyone could have imagined. But he wasn't satisfied with that accomplishment. Next he gave us the tools to use that ability at any time and at any place on the planet we chose, and also made it possible for us to use those tools to share our thoughts and ideas, either orally or by the use of written words, with any other person on the planet - as long as the other person was similarly prepared. What he gave to us no longer fits any of the tasks assigned to the Muses we have.
Because of Steve Jobs, we need a tenth Muse. One who oversees his marriage of science and communication. His contribution to humanity is so unique it fits nowhere else in all of the Human Experience. I would suggest Steve for the job, but he was of the wrong sex and, as we all found out just yesterday, merely a mortal.
Steve's place in history is assured. Some unrecorded hero gave us the Wheel, Prometheus gave us Fire. Oppenheimer put the power of the Sun in our hands and Steve Jobs put an all knowing and powerful Mind in our heads. Well done, to all of you.
Now, someone much smarter than I needs to give us a new Muse to control the power he bestowed.
I like the idea of muses, Forrest. Steve Jobs was from all reports -- and I've heard a ton, living near Silicon Valley -- not a very nice man at all. At all. We want to think that people who change our lives in great ways are great people. Though there's no reason that this should be.
ReplyDeleteSo I like the image of a ghostly finger reaching down from the stars and touching an individual with celestial inspiration -- an individual chosen by no logic apparent to us. But the muses have their own logic.
You haven't posted in a bit; hope everything's okay.
It seems very few who do great things are well rounded people. Most are driven by something you and I can never feel all their lives, as was Mr. Jobs. He worked until he couldn't. I would not want to be that way, but wonder what it is that possesses someone like him. How does it feel to have that inside?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your concern, we are well but Carolyn's condition has started playing some new music. We can learn the new steps to this tune but it's taking some time. Meanwhile I arrive at my keyboard only to find I am empty.
Once we find the new beat, that should change.
I miss your posts - hope all is well. Had a great visit with your mom last Sat - sure do miss her.
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