Recently, my left eye started bothering me. I stopped wearing my contact lenses. I started moaning about my advancing age preventing me from seeing properly. I made an appointment for the eye doctor. And lo and behold; the doctor inspected my eye, touched it gently with an instrument, and removed some unidentified gunk that was stuck on my eyeball. Wonder of wonders! I was instantly cured! My life had turned around in an instant.

So it is with splinters in our feet. They bother us so much we can barely walk, yet they are so tiny that we would objectively think they are of no import. And consider the implications of bacteria. And software bugs. And all the other little things can make everything seem upside down.

Last week, I informed my partner on a project that we had completed our job, as defined. To my surprise, she was horrified. How could I suggest such a thing! Why was I giving up at the halfway point? Was I bailing out on her? Hadn’t I agreed to do the whole job?

It turns out that one of the i’s wasn’t dotted and one of the t’s wasn’t crossed.

Now I ask you: Did that mean the job was only half done?

I guess it depends on how much that splinter bothers you. She was right; the job wasn’t done. But it wasn’t only half done.