Friday 7 October 2011

What birth activists can learn from Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs, the person, will be sadly and achingly missed by his family and friends and Steve Jobs the genius, will be missed by those of us who enjoy the amazing fruits of his formidable creativity and attention to detail.

So why, on a midwifery and birth related blog am I talking about Steve Jobs?

Hugh @gapingvoid an amazing cartoonist, had an obituary for Steve Jobs on his site yesterday.  He quoted Steve Jobs in this way:




Hugh rightly said that Steve's legacy is more than the hardware, wonderful as that all is, it's what he "helped us believe about ourselves".

So important to believe we are capable, strong and courageous and that we can go beyond the boundaries and limitations imposed by upbringing, culture and the myriad other influences that seek to contain our genius and creative self expression.

Nowhere is this more important than with birth and the bringing forth of life.

Those of us who are birth activists, who care about how women are treated in the birthing world; who care about the way that babies are born and how the whole childbearing experience is constructed for women, partners/fathers and babies all over the world need to read these words of Steve Jobs and take them to heart.

We want to change the birthing world for the better and we can!

Thanks for reminding us what we are capable and who we are Steve.  RIP.