The minute I was exposed to my first personal computer in high school, I became a computer geek. Gone were the dreams of archeology, oceanography and mad scientist/freehand artist. I’ve been a computer geek for the majority of my life… and I’m damned good at it.

Whenever someone who knows of me has a computer question, they ask me. In a weeks time I can get calls from acquaintances, friends, family members, family’s family members and complete strangers. Relatives I haven’t seen in YEARS line their computers up (and their kids’ computers, their friends’ computers etc) when I come around. Recently, when I visited family in NYC I don’t think there was a place I went that I didn’t wind up working on someone’s computer.

Reason: because I’m damned good at it.

It’s my profession, my calling and my hobby.

Whatever company I work for, it doesn’t matter what networking setup they’re running, what computers they have or software they run… I quickly master it. Before too long there’s a line at my desk, as if I was the only support person there, despite being surrounded by colleagues. My multi-tasking abilities are strong, I routinely help people standing in front of me while talking on the phone and remotely helping multiple others as easily and as focused as if I was just helping a single person.

It’s not arrogance, ego or hubris that I state what others have come to know wherever I go. I am a computer geek and I’m damned good at it.

Hardware software or network problems, they’re all the same to me. I can tear apart a computer and rebuild/ repair / upgrade it in my sleep; as well as track down, troubleshoot and fix any and all software or operating system problems your home or work setup can throw at me.

It’s not just my experience and knowledge that keeps people asking for my help; it’s also that I lack the ego and false sense of superiority that’s all too common in my IT colleagues. My sole purpose is to help as many people as fast and as best as I can. That’s my job and my life. I’ve never lost sight of that and never will.

And I’m damned good at it.

(That and I still have my soul.)