When people ask me why it is that I started PlaneBusiness, why it is I continue to work as hard as I do every week producing it, (except on weeks like this one when I am supposed to be “on vacation”) and what inspired me to think I could do it in the first place, I invariably think about the quote below.

There is a longer version of the quote, but this excerpt is the one that was used in the Apple “Think Different” commercials. A legendary campaign in advertising lore, and an enduring reminder of a way of looking at the world that is no less important today — and perhaps even more so — then when the campaign was first rolled out in 1997. No coincidence that 1997 was also the year I founded PlaneBusiness.com and PlaneBusiness Banter.

While the “Think Different” campaign served as a mantra to those of us who are crazy enough to think we can make a difference –the misfits, the round pegs in square holes with no respect for the status quo — the quote is, at its heart, an apt description of Apple’s brilliant co-founder — Steve Jobs.

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. “

That is why today is a sad day. A very sad day.

Steve Jobs announced today that he is stepping down as CEO of Apple — a result of his increasingly fragile health. While it’s not clear exactly what he is now suffering from, we all know what this news really means. The misfit, the rebel — the troublemaker — is in trouble.

Thank you Steve for your genius, your creativity, and your incredible sense of design that was always so seamlessly coupled with intuitive functionality.

And yes, you did change the world.