Exemplification Essay
Mallory Rushmore

Does a bank robber deserve honor? Does a bragger deserve honor? The true definition of honor is not always known. There are people that strive so hard to make their name recognized and try to gain creditability. When people think of honor they think of men with ribbons, prestige, or someone who has done a glorious act, but in reality true honor is gained by those who quietly help. Calvin Coolidge had this to say about honor, “ No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave.” People try so hard to gain that title of honor, but those that seek it will never reap it.

Honor does not create itself. I have grown up sitting around my Uncle Larry’s kitchen table, as he recounted his military past. He served in the Korean Conflict as a guard along the Demilitarized Zone. He tells us stories of near death experiences that he escaped. He has stories of bravery when he was able to rescue his best friend who was lost hunting elk in the mountains of Colorado. He is full of fascinating facts and events. I used to believe that he was the most interesting person I knew, until I realized that he was a man that liked to highlight his own abilities. His stories are told in a way to capitalize on how clever and insightful he is, always drawing attention to him. As I grow older I wonder if these stories are true or fabrications. My Uncle Larry strives for that self-proclaimed honor, but false honor.
Honor is quietly bestowed. My Grandpa’s brother Max died a few years ago. We knew he had served in the Marines during WWII and had been involved in some fighting. It was obvious due to his limp and the bulges of shrapnel in his leg. We never heard any of the details; it was something he did not talk about. When my Grandfather was going through his brother’s possessions, he found a medal that awarded him for bravery, along with the description of his heroism. He was shocked. He had no idea that his own brother had been awarded the medal. At his funeral there was a woman who had been his student in the one room school he had taught at after the war. She told us how he had helped her learn to read when she was the only fourth grader who could not. His neighbors told of times that he had came to their aid when work needed to be done on their farms. Others expressed gratitude, recounting how Uncle Max had helped them monetarily when they had nowhere else to turn. They said he would never take anything in return. My Uncle Max deserves and receives true honor.

Honor does not seek an audience. There are those that need attention, honor, and prestige, and there are others that are humble and quiet. After Hurricane Katrina we saw that in the media. There were celebrities touring New Orleans telling how much money they were donating to relief funds. They would sit and pose with various families in need. They would act sympathetic while the cameras flashed. They do this all for publicity and honor, but their attempts are futile. They will never gain real honor. Honor comes to those that strive to do good because their heart motivates them to want to. The many anonymous people who left their jobs and families to travel to New Orleans to pound hammers, and help strangers demonstrated honor.

Honor comes naturally by those that want to be a good person. We cannot see it or hear it or taste it. There are people that strive so hard to make their name recognized and try to gain credibility. When people think of honor they think of men with ribbons, prestige or someone who has done a glorious act, but in reality true honor is gained by those who quietly help. I can see now that I’m older people like my Uncle Larry do not get to gain that true honor, but people like my Uncle Max, who was not seeking to gain honor, indirectly did.

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