Well, now that we have had the opportunity to discuss relationships, the single life, and which sucks more (from the comments in my previous blog, “Who needs sex when you have AA batteries?” it sounds like both relationship status’ have their own levels of suck as well as awesome, and it was great to read different perspectives and opinions!), lets take it to another level and discuss a method of behavior that may have also disintegrated into a pile of embarrassing dust, like Lindsay Lohan’s career.
Chivalry.
Websters dictionary defines chivalry as, 1: mounted men-at-arms, 2: archaic a: martial valor b: knightly skill, 3: gallant or distinguished gentlemen, 4:the system, spirit, or customs of medieval knighthood, 5: the qualities of the ideal knight : chivalrous conduct.
(It sounds to me like Websters is describing a hunky piece of man meat with a sword and good posture…)
In all somewhat seriousness, majority of us know or have an idea of what chivalry is. It could be defined as an ethical standard that fosters the development of manhood and interactions with a woman, or just your typical, top of the line, A graded beefy goodness…a gentleman. A gentleman who goes out of his way to open a door for a woman (letting her walk in front of him and then reaching around to open the door before she does), excuses himself when he leaves a room or is about to drop the F bomb, helps put her coat on, holds an umbrella for her in the rain during a weekly stroll around Stanley Park, stands when she arrives or leaves, takes off his hat when she is present and tips his hat when she walks by, opens the car door, gives her his coat when she’s cold, and walks on the busy side of the street, so if a giant yellow bus filled with convicts and goats loses control and swerves towards the sidewalk, he would be the one getting hooves and tears of misguided youth in the face.
I’m sure that there are a lot more chivalrous acts that a man could present to a woman, but you get the idea.
Side note: As a female, I am not going to only write from a females perspective. I am going to give men the benefit of the doubt. Why? Because I love hunky pieces of man meat with a sword and good posture.
I think chivalry shouldn’t be something that just men are expected to do for women. It should go both ways. For example, when a man does any of the above, women could chose appreciate it (if they didn’t already), and avoid the temptation of running around with no bra, yelling, “EQUAL RIGHTS FOR WOMAN”, or start a women’s movement that meet every Friday at 5:30 pm at JJ Bean on Main Street, or wear turtlenecks and snow pants to The Roxy during the summer, just to prove they are independent, strong, and intelligent woman that don’t need to expose themselves to prove it. I think that women can also be chivalrous, by returning compassion and love in exchange for the tipped hat or opened door.
Through my observations, I feel like chivalry is on the verge of extinction. At least the chivalry that majority of us define and know. What happened in the last 50 years that caused this to happen? What if chivalry isn’t dead, but has simply changed to a modern type of chivalry, which may only be a different aspect of general respect and courtesy, that may not be practiced enough in our daily lives? Do you think there is a way we can dramatically shift the idea of old chivalry to modern chivalry without braless protests?
If we try practicing this idea of being “chival” towards each other, this might balance the overall respect towards one another that I believe is more on the verge on extinction than the idea of expecting someone to do something for someone else because they are a woman or a man.
What is chivalry mean to you? How do you think we can bring it back? Should we bring it back? Why?
Let a sista know and comment below!
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