Lt Colonel "Willow" is the executive officer for a General known for having a very bad temper. The general has several pet peeves, including untrimmed nasal hair, pastel colored office furniture, and typographical errors in official documents generated by his office.

On one particular day, Willow is going through some paperwork that has just come out of his boss’s office, and he notices a gross typographical error in a performance report the general has just signed.

"Holy smoke. Thank goodness he didn’t find that!" Willow says to himself.

But Willow’s conscience begins to bother him. The performance report will become a part of the permanent record of the individual about whom it has been written¾ in this case a colonel on the general’s personal staff.

"I wouldn’t want a gross typo like that in my record," Willow tells himself. "So, why should I allow it to be in the colonel’s record."

But then Willow relaxes and answers his own question: "I still have a chance to be promoted, and he doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. No need to anger the general by asking him to re-sign the corrected performance report of a man whose career is probably over."