So it's been a weird week for me. I've been noticing some things around here for a while and it sort of came to an existential head a few days ago. I've been thinking about it and watching people with ears pricked as of late. In recent communications with males that seem to be around my age or in the neighborhood of my age (10 years constitutes a neighborhood in my world) I've noticed the absence of a few qualities. Class, chivalry, thoughtfulness, and general respect for other human beings. As those old school peeps such as my baby boomer parents might call it, manners.
I recently attended a few dinners amongst friends, mixed company at which all men were sitting down comfortably while women stood chair-less. Now, I'm not a big proponent of taking someone's chair if they are seated comfortably and I don't mind standing, which is most of the time. However, the fact that none of these males offered any of the ladies a seat is appalling to me! I mean crap, I would even offer my chair to a gentleman if I were sitting and he was standing. You never know, maybe he hurt his knee playing skee-ball the weak prior and was standing there in pain? I'm just sayin...that is what folks with manners do!
In addition to the seat offering debacle, some of my company found it OK to cuss a blue streak in front of the parents of another friend of mine, which again I find to be in bad taste. My parents are cool, we laugh and joke and are open, but if my friends came around and tried to use every expletive in their vocabulary to tell a story I would tell them to cool it. It never happened though. And I was too new to the situation to take a stand. I should have I guess. Where was my gumption when I needed it?
So being privy to this experience, and others in which people have exhibited a complete lack of manners, guys in particular, girls however not excluded, it caused me to contemplate chivalry in general. Is is dead? Has it been dead? Did woman's lib kill it? Does the lack of importance placed on manners kill the use of chivalry? Or are we purely just devolving?
Call me old fashioned but I'm a fan of a man who treats a woman with respect and dignity, and opens a door for and offers a seat. I'm also a fan of a woman who is proud to be a woman and exalt her feminine traits and be gracious and respectful to men in return. I understand that we're not quite as stringent in dress and formalities as we used to be and that's to be expected. But if manners and mutual respect are passe then I want to hop in a time machine and get the hell out of Dodge.
Oy, and now I'm spent. Here, for your enjoyment, is the Knight's Code of Chivalry as it was presented in the Middle Ages. Although some of the thoughts are outdated in the context of time and socio-economic reality, most of the ideas still hold up today.
The Code of Chivalry
* Live to serve King and Country.
* Live to defend Crown and Country and all it holds dear.
* Live one's life so that it is worthy of respect and honor.
* Live for freedom, justice and all that is good.
* Never attack an unarmed foe.
* Never use a weapon on an opponent not equal to the attack.
* Never attack from behind.
* Avoid lying to your fellow man.
* Avoid cheating.
* Avoid torture.
* Obey the law of king, country, and chivalry.
* Administer justice.
* Protect the innocent.
* Exhibit self control.
* Show respect to authority.
* Respect women.
* Exhibit Courage in word and deed.
* Defend the weak and innocent.
* Destroy evil in all of its monstrous forms.
* Crush the monsters that steal our land and rob our people.
* Fight with honor.
* Avenge the wronged.
* Never abandon a friend, ally, or noble cause.
* Fight for the ideals of king, country, and chivalry.
* Die with valor.
* Always keep one's word of honor.
* Always maintain one's principles.
* Never betray a confidence or comrade.
* Avoid deception.
* Respect life and freedom.
* Die with honor.
* Exhibit manners.
* Be polite and attentive.
* Be respectful of host, women, and honor.
* Loyalty to country, King, honor, freedom, and the code of chivalry.
* Loyalty to one's friends and those who lay their trust in thee.
Dave Chappelle's take on things...
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