Dept. of Peculiarities of American Leadership Rhetoric

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” said President Biden in his farewell speech.

Of course he did. That’s now what everyone says on their reluctant way out the door.

A couple years ago I called bs on people who claimed to be “humbled” to receive an award or get a promotion. “When,” I asked, “did we become too proud to admit we’re proud?”

And even in this treacly age of vulnerability, we’re also incapable of admitting when we’re humbled! Every time a university president or an elected official is forced to resign, what do we hear?

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as president of the University of California these past several years, and I am immensely proud of what the UC community has accomplished,” outgoing University of California President Michael V. Drake said in a statement. 

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to devote the last 10 years,” said outgoing New York Fire Department Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, “to advocating for the men and women of the FDNY.”

I suppose there’s nothing really wrong with this cliché, other than the tinge of, “Hey I may be resigning in disgrace but at least I was the effing Big Boss for awhile. What’s the honor of your little lifetime, bruh?”

But the honor-of-a-lifetime gambit isn’t new, really.

My old man used to tell me: When you’re getting run out of town, get out ahead and make it look like a parade.