My oldest daughter has fixed a problem with unresponsive keys on her laptop. Since my contribution to this was a tipoff as to locations of some of the hidden screws, the information that you clean contacts with a pencil eraser, and the statement “You’ve got a brain and a screwdriver. Fix it yourself,” my chest is swelling with pride at her success.
She’s proud of herself, too, and doesn’t understand the jeers of her classmates who look at her old 486 laptop as some dinosaur that isn’t worth fixing. I told her they are spoiled only-children and are, worse yet, software geeks or, even, (gasp!) USERS. Now that she is an official hardware geek, I told her they will continue to be annoying pains in the ass and will eventually become the very bane of her existence.
<sigh> It is sad how we must grow apart from our friends.