I think I've posted this here before but it is worth repeating.

I'm grateful for bureaucratic screw ups and red tape. At the beginning of WWII, my father-in-law Bob, voluteered for the RCAF and trained as a Flight Engineer. There were 14 in the original group of volunteers that trained with him, who were sent from Canada, after their training and seconded to the RAF in the UK. When they arrived in England, my father-in-law's papers, along with another fellow's, did not arrive. Consequently, the two of them were assigned work as airframe mechanics temporarily with the RAF ground crew, until the proper documention arrived from Canada.

Two weeks later, when the proper papers finally came, every one of the original Canadian contigent had been killed in action except for my father-in-law and his friend, who remained grounded. The RCAF decided they were too valuable as airframe mechanics to send them up as per their original training and they remained as ground crew until the end of the War.

I probably would not have met and loved a remarkable and truly fine gentleman, that was my father-in-law, Bob, were it not for a bureaucratic blunder. I also would not have the wonderful husband and family that I love and enjoy either.

I try to remember this when things get screwed up royally.