Burlington High School
Burlington, Kansas
Teacher: Devra Parker
Somewhere, No Where, Everywhere-
It’s All Around Us
By Dawn Brannen
12th grade
No! I got a C on my Honor’s English paper; that’s almost failing! The modest chicken scratches on the side of my astoundingly thought out paper only got me, “You have done an excellent job!” For crying outloud, it is only a C, an excellent job; I poured my heart into this essay. I guess I don’t know what she means when she tells me I have done a good job, but it’s clean and crisp.
Radiance, luminosity, and brilliance are the sections this English assignment should be put into. Excellence is just a minute little word that nobody cares about anymore. It is way too out- dated; worst of all, ancient. Society has given up all hope and standards for this un- sophisticated word. But yet, she used it on my paper! How dare she!
After I finally stepped back for awhile, and actually collected my long tortured brain, I thought about the true meaning of the word “EXCELLENCE.” It has many uses for the world today, and I do think people have thrown it out of the door. Even though, today I was watching the presidential election, George W. Bush used this prehistoric, unthinkable word in his response.
For someone who has never given up on what she truly wants, she would work hard at something so much it is crazy, and then it has been achieved, that is the unforgotten word to me. Society, today, is sitting on their butts, while the world just passes them by. New technology is being invented everyday; people are getting up and going to work everyday; or, people are sitting at home everyday. Which one does someone want to be recognized as? Excellence, to me, is an occurrence happening all around us. If there was no such action, civilians would walk around like zombies and never have any expectations for anything.
Thinking about it reminds me of competition. Winning a basketball tournament, getting first place at a track meet, winning a spelling bee -- those are all achieved by excellence. Students, parents, bosses or employees all have to live up to their expectations and recognize this daily. It isn’t like a predator that is going to bite someone on the rump. Look for it yourself, and don’t be afraid of it. Instead of the boogey monster it’s like a cute little puppy; it’s never going to harm you. “Excellence is rarely found, more rarely valued.” You just can’t escape the wrath of it.
To achieve excellence, look way down inside, and have the attitude to do it. "Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character" (Einstein). Weakness defeats every person’s goals of anything, and excellence comes from the goals you set for yourself. If someone has goals in life don’t have anyone tell anybody that they can’t do it. People are just saying that they think their mind is better then anyone else and they could be right, but people’s dreams are still important no matter what.
For example, the soldiers getting deployed to a foreign country, these courageous people are, fighting a war that shouldn’t even [be] fought. Innocent lives taken, for weapons of mass destruction in which they don’t even have. But, the people over there fighting this war have accomplished so much. They have had to leave their families behind for their country. I would give them a star of excellence for even signing up to go to war. These armed men have the bravery and courage to hold a gun and get fired upon. Even if they are not in a combat situation, driving an armored vehicle down a road waiting for a land mine to blow up under their truck.
This significant word, I found out from using my rusty old brain, has a lot of use and meaning. It is all around us, even inside of us, as well. No one person today can say they have not achieved excellence. Having a job is excellent, fighting for your country is excellent, writing an English paper and getting a passing grade is excellent. Everyday society is filled with much anticipation for everyone, so do not be lazy in the future. Get up and achieve your goals instead of just throwing them in a dusty old closet like they are nothing. Anyone today may tell you to achieve them, but I’m saying that you would be excellent for even attempting to reach set out goals. Don’t be a lazy bum; get out and live your life like it should, filled with EXCELLENCE!
No Answers To Questions Re: Required Reading
Disqualified For Prizes