The Permanent File

"This is going in your Permanent File!"  I am not sure if teachers still threaten kids with this or not.  When I was in school this was heard all the time.  It would go something like this:

Student: flips staple with pencil at teacher.

Teacher:  In listing out all the bad things that are now going to happen to student (paddles were on the way out) says "and this will go in your permanent file.  When you are applying to college and for jobs they are going to look at your permanent file to see what kind of student you were".

Student:  In the midst of tears (usually from laughing) says "oh no! Not the permanent file"

The other time they liked to bring this up was when it was standardized test time.  "You need to do your best on this test because the results are going to go in your permanent file."

I have been enrolled in two colleges and had about a dozen jobs and not once have I ever heard the permanent file mentioned. 

"I am sorry Mr. Alverson. We see you are very qualified for this position, however if you remember when you were in 7th grade you got caught flipping staples at the teacher.  We just cannot have that type of person working here."

"We filled the position with another candidate because they scored five points higher on their fourth grade achievement test" 

It seems ridiculous I know, but the permanent file appears every day.  It is called unforgiveness.  I talk to someone that is holding a grudge from ten years ago.  I have an argument with my wife and I find myself bringing up unrelated things because they are in my permanent file.  I beat myself up because of past failures because I just can't seem to escape the permanent file.

Where do you see the permanent file showing up in your life?