Is Chivalry DEAD???

Us female bookworms love to wail about how chivalry doesn't seem to exist anymore, that those common acts of courtesy and kindness seem to have been forgotten. We love comparing normal men to the likes of Mr. Darcy and James Carstairs and Aragorn and moan about how there are no men like them anymore.

News flash: CHIVALRY. ISN'T. DEAD.

It can't be. I refuse to believe that something so awesome has completely and entirely faded from this world.

But, my dear fellow bookworms, let us get off our high horse of dirtied tissues and Austen novels and start working to bring chivalry and courtesy back.

First thing we've got to start doing is being worthy of chivalry. No one's going to want to respect and be courteous to someone who can't even remember that their boobs belong in their shirt and that makeup is a choice, not a necessity. You have to be chivalrous and courteous yourself if you want others to do be chivalrous and courteous to you. It's the Golden Rule. We learned all this when we were littlies.
If one person starts the chain of courtesy, then maybe the next person will continue it, and then the next person will go farther and farther until suddenly, chivalry is not seen as "dead" anymore.

It isn't just the menfolk who need to step up their daily acts, they're just the ones who get the worst reputation about not doing those daily acts. Girls, we need to be courteous as well.

I'm not saying that a girl should start opening the door for the guy on dates, but we definitely need to do something to bring it back. Help the woman with five kids who's struggling to get the groceries into her car. Hold open the door for the next person behind you. Allow those who need to get there faster than you to go ahead.

This ties in closely with my previous post. It takes bravery and strength to be courteous. Men pride themselves about their muscles and how many hours they spent at the gym working on their abs, and although I've got absolutely nothing against that, I would find it more attractive if a guy were to be courteous. Not even to me. If I saw a guy doing nice things for people, it would immediately endear me to them.

Come on! You wanted chivalry to come back, darling, and I just told you how to bring it back. We need to put this into action. It would make me so proud if people just started looking outside of their own little bubble world and realize that there is a world out there that needs them to get their head in the game. Little acts like this can make a person's day, maybe even their week. A simple smile can go a long way.

The implications of being courteous includes being humbled. You are humbling yourself to realize that you are not the only person in this universe who needs to get somewhere today and you can help them out.

It's HARD. I know. I used to think that chivalry was for the men. But just yesterday I tried being courteous and kind at the store and half of the time I had an opportunity to help, I didn't because I was scared of what they might think.

You're offering to help them. Unless they're a proud stuck up prick, they're not going to refuse free help. And if they do, so what? It's not like they are going to be all, "You asked me if I needed help. DIE YOU FOOL!" NO! Your brain has made what could happen worse than what it is. The worst they can say is no, and you tried, and that's what really counts.

CHIVALRY. IS. NOT. DEAD.
IT'S SLEEPING.
GRAB THE POTS AND PANS AND LET'S WAKE IT UP.