Self Tapping Screw image courtesy of Ford Fasteners, Inc.

There are those who can do things for themselves and then there are those who need other people to do things for them. To be honest, I have always wondered which category I myself would fall under; despite having a certain streak of prideful independence, I have found myself falling back on my loved ones for support, such as my parents, a tad too often than I would prefer. I find myself, at times, needing others to clear an initial path for me so that I may move forward, both in terms of those all-too-familiar financial hiccups as well as emotional and mental guidance and support. Albeit, I am still a relatively young individual who happens to be of a generation who generally take longer than those previous to “grow up” (due to a number of social and cultural changes), but it nonetheless pains me sometimes to noticed individuals, such as my brother, for example, who are self-sufficient; reliable members of society who move forward on paths entirely of their own making. I envy them for their lack of limits and dependencies I often find myself burdened with.

When I think about it, my brother has an uncanny resemblance to a self tapping screw. Allow me to explain: a self tapping screw is a type of threaded fastener that is able to insert itself into materials, such as fiber glass, plastic, wood and various soft metals, independent of any “tapping”. Tapping is the necessary process for screws involving a secondary tool, like a drill bit, used to create a complimentary threaded path— “a tap”— in the material before the screw can then be introduced. A self tapping screw, however, does not need this extra process and can create the female thread on its own. This is possible due to their being made from hardened metal— typically stainless steel— which can easily work against the competing material.

If it wasn’t an inanimate object, I suppose I would envy a self tapping screw, as well.