...respect and chilvary? Let me clarify. Last night my friend, Laurie, and I were at an outdoor concert at a well-known restaurant in Denver (rhymes with Schmelway's). The place was packed and seating was limited. Laurie and I decided to sit on a low wall near the stage since nothing else was seemingly available. We ended up next to a group of guys seated at a couple tables with a plethora of chairs. There were, maybe, 4 guys and about 800 chairs at their table. Laurie and I were dressed up like ladies (she was in a dress!) and obviously a bit uncomfortable sitting on a wall. So, Laurie leans over and asks one of the guys if we can use 2 of their extra chairs.
The fact that we had to ASK them to borrow chairs blows my mind. Didn't there used to be a time when guys would have offered their chairs to a lady before she even sat down on a dirty flowerbed wall?
So, back to the story, the guy tells Laurie that they're using all of the chairs. She, being just as appalled as I was, clarified, "You're going to use ALL of these chairs? ALL of them?" (Remember, I said they had about 800 for the 4 of them). Mr. Impolite-with-no-manners re-confirmed that they'd need all of them but then said we could use them until their friends got there.
Are you kidding me? You're telling me that you, in your dirty jeans and t-shirt, won't give up 2 chairs to two ladies who are all dressed up??? And, this is just one example of the ever-weakening world of chilvary.
What about letting a lady go through a door first instead of just barging in in front of her and absent-mindedly holding the door for a nano-second behind you?
In the tiny town of Alamosa, Colorado this summer, I had walked in to a restaurant with my friends and family. The door was located right next to the All-You-Can-Eat Mexican food line and this adorable elderly man was heading up to pile his plate high with tamales and burritos. When he saw me, he stopped walking, did a sweeping arm gesture and said, "Ladies first." Since we were waiting for a table, I politely said, "No, thank you. That's okay." I stepped aside and he sweetly said, "I wasn't raised that way." Awwwwwwwwww! That simple gesture of kindness and respect brought such a huge smile to my face and I let him know that I was waiting for a table and not for food but that I was so thankful for his kindness. Where are those manners in 30-something guys?
Yes, yes, I know. Women's rights movements have all but killed off chivalry, or so I've heard. Well, you know what? Even this bull-headed, stubborn and overly-independent gal likes to be treated like a lady and made to feel like one through chivalrous actions and words. So, guys, don't give up on us. Keep up the good work and don't let a few nasty women spoil your manly manners!
p.s. Ladies, just let them be men already, alright? Yes, I must take my own advice.
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