In the aircraft building business I drill a lot of holes through aluminum parts and then use various fasteners to assemble those parts to mating parts that feed into different sub-assemblies of the aircraft. It is important that the holes that I drill are straight but even more important than that is after the hole is drilled it must then be cleaned up so that no sharp burrs are left on the edge of the hole. The two main reasons for that are to give the fastener that is installed the maximum life of it's designed strength and also to eliminate the possibility of corrosion.
Life is much the same.
When I was a teenager my parents spoke repeatedly about the importance of keeping ourselves well-kept. I have always liked to be clean but I didn't fully understand the impact their teaching would have on me.
We are much like the holes that I drill in the parts of an aircraft. Every day there are natural 'burrs' that have the potential of corroding our lives. We need to take the time to break the edges of our personalities so that the 'fasteners' that keep us all together will have longevity and endure their designed life.
Look around and observe those people who do this very well. Mimic what they do and put into practice those things that will be of greatest benefit.
Who would've ever thought that the act of drilling holes into aluminum aircraft parts would have the impact they have had today. It is proof that no matter how old and experienced you are, there are always plenty of worthwhile lessons to learn.
