h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Reflecting about a statement written in another member's introduction I can't help but make a couple of observations. The statement I refer to is this:

"'I've gotten awards for some of the stuff I've written over the years, so all you English teachers can just be quiet. (except for my current one, who is the greatest in the world, and I am not saying that because I'm a suck up. Well yes I am. And you know why? 'cause it works!)"

If taking genuine pride in being a good student and the teacher knows this and appreciates it is sucking up, then yes, he's a suck up.

If being an excellent writer whose assignments the teacher actually looks forward to reading for entertainent's sake is sucking up, then yes, he's a suck up.

If attemping to make the highests grades he can in all his classes is sucking up. then yes, he's a suck up.

And if sharing genuine mutual respect and admiration with his teacher is sucking up, then yes, he's a suck up.

Sucking up is usually all about flattery and falsehoods, but those methods are abhorent to this young man's idea of sucking up. This is a source of immense pride for me as a father because the suck up I refer to here is none other than my own son, who is my delight, and in whom I am well pleased.