It's been many years now since I first posted this one, but I am able to re-issue it here without alteration:-
The "Hands-On Fixit Techie" has a certain attitude, a state of mind, a particular mind-set. Without arrogance, he is quietly confident in his own abilities. Self-sufficient, he is a survivor in today's technical world. Not feeling a need to go along with the latest fads, he can commune with any machine, new or old. Any tool, anything technical, is useful and can become alive in his hands. Calmly thinking in terms of a better way, he will always find one - even if it takes longer than others would be willing or able to spend. Although often working swiftly and efficiently, he knows that sometimes taking the time to do things properly can make a world of a difference.
Some may consider him a loner. But he can be animated in the company of those he considers worthy. Otherwise he cares little for the expectations of others and finds solace in the elegance often found in machines. In fact, technology, and his work in it, are his real friends. Disdainful of politics and religion, he attains an inner peace and an outer freedom. His mind is simply on a different level. A pilgrim seeking truth and wisdom, perhaps. Internationalist in outlook and freelance by inclination, he is, above all, a practical guy.