I read a great comment by Bill Bryson, the writer, about the Honours System today.
He does say he could be accused of hypocracy because he accepted an honorary OBE, but these are his thoughts.
"According to the citation, the award was for services to literature, which is very kind and generous, but what it really meant was that it was for services to myself, because I didn't do anything I wasn't going to do anyway. That's the problem with honours, you see. On the whole, people are rewarded just for being themselves, which, in a lot of cases, frankly is quite enough already"
I couldn't express it better myself, which is probably why he's a writer in the first place, and I'm not.
My Dad was awarded the MBE for services as a Liaison Officer when the Americans came over with their missiles to Lincolnshire but he had already been posted out to Malaya (as it was then) where he was seconded to the Royal Malayan Air Force during the handover period after Malaya became independent. Dad was very humble and I think slightly embarrassed to receive this award as he was 'just doing' his job. He couldn't return to England to receive it at the Palace and had the option of a big fuss being made by the Group Captain on camp or just to receive it 'anonymously' through the post. He chose the latter. We children were highly proud of him - still are.
Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
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I read a great comment by Bill Bryson, the writer, about the Honours System today.
He does say he could be accused of hypocracy because he accepted an honorary OBE, but these are his thoughts.
"According to the citation, the award was for services to literature, which is very kind and generous, but what it really meant was that it was for services to myself, because I didn't do anything I wasn't going to do anyway. That's the problem with honours, you see. On the whole, people are rewarded just for being themselves, which, in a lot of cases, frankly is quite enough already"
I couldn't express it better myself, which is probably why he's a writer in the first place, and I'm not.
My Dad was awarded the MBE for services as a Liaison Officer when the Americans came over with their missiles to Lincolnshire but he had already been posted out to Malaya (as it was then) where he was seconded to the Royal Malayan Air Force during the handover period after Malaya became independent. Dad was very humble and I think slightly embarrassed to receive this award as he was 'just doing' his job. He couldn't return to England to receive it at the Palace and had the option of a big fuss being made by the Group Captain on camp or just to receive it 'anonymously' through the post. He chose the latter. We children were highly proud of him - still are.
Whoop whoop Ladybird's dad
Well done that man.
Thank you pp.