When the digital world crashes, she patiently puts it back together. Without judging our habits, she quietly removes malware. She knows that we will throw out the welcome mat for spyware or bring down our systems over and over.
It is her job to right our computer wrongs and she is happy to do it. She might be a highly paid professional or a friend who never lets us down. Techies Day only lasts 24 hours but the magic wrought by this remarkable group makes astonishing differences every day.
Shame on us for never buying gifts for the techies in our lives. We need to move past our embarrassment because October 3 is their special day on the calendar, and they deserve our gratitude.
What in the world do you get the techie in your life?
A framed portrait of Steve might work, accompanied by an equally attractive picture of Bill. Both men are credited with revolutionizing the computer world, but the truth is a little less dramatic. Ask your techie her opinion and she will probably shrug.
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates gave us access to personal computing, but to be honest, they didn’t really invent anything. They noodled around with existing technologies, borrowed some ideas and stole others. Their commercial successes are undeniable but their genius status is a bit overblown. Give any techie the time and resources and she will find a better way to program, wire and secure anything.
The talent of techies is their ability to build. The title of engineer is given to those who secure formal degrees. The infrastructures they intricately design, construct and maintain are just as vital as transit systems, highways and bridges.
All techies share an intense curiosity and fascination with detail. They innovate, assemble and repair with laser focus and a surgeon’s touch. Luckily for us, most of them are blessed with the patience of many saints.
At the end of the day, we provide the best gifts for techies when our devices are finally humming again. The look on our relieved faces must be priceless. Whatever we did wrong, we promise not to do it again. That pledge gives a techie her favorite gift – a good-natured laugh. She knows we really mean it and she knows that she will be back soon.