The Death of Chivalry

I'll take a chivalrous man over a rich one any day. Now if he's both ... well, "that do make it nice!"


Why do we as people sometimes take something that's good--stomp it in the ground, dig it back up, tear it to bits, and then attempt to glue it back together again? Why are there some women out there that have to cut men down-to-size in order to make themselves feel taller? I, for one, appreciate it when a man takes a minute out of his day to open the door for me. This kind gesture in no way negates my self worth. On the contrary, it lifts me up, makes me proud to be a woman. I'm grateful for what little chivalry we still have left in this ole' hardened world. Thank heaven above there are still men out there that value the worth of women. And thank heavens there are still women that allow their men to ... well ... be men!

Marnie Pehrson, a great friend and talented writer, recently wrote an article about chivalry. It's a great read and a good reminder that we must work to keep chivalry alive. Ladies, let your man pull out your chair for you at a restaurant. Let him open the door for you. Let him be the man his mama raised him to be. For goodness sakes, let him be a gentlemen! It is only when he gets to be a gentleman that you truly get the privilege of being a lady.

In Search of a Chivalrous Man
By Marnie Pehrson.

I’m one of those high-achieving women who earns her own living, mows her own lawn, patches her own water lines, and pioneers innovative trails. Yet, don’t let that self-sufficiency fool you for a second, if given the choice, I’d choose a chivalrous man.
Chivalrous men are a dying breed, and some people are glad of it. The Urban Dictionary says, “Chivalry is something that people always say is dead, but no one seems to know what the hell died.”
I know what died, and I’m mourning its departure. If chivalry is dead, I believe it may be we women who slaughtered it. We basically told chivalrous men that they were no longer needed, that they weren’t important, that we could get by just fine without them. We handed men our virtue (which they were once honor-bound to protect) and said, “It’s worthless to us, take it, trample it. There’s no need to buy the cow anymore, we’ll give you all the milk you want for free.”
When we held our virtue sacred, we wielded a power that persuaded men to commit, to remain true, to value and honor us, to protect their children, to provide for their families — to be an active part of making family life work. As a gender, we tossed that aside because we wanted to be “more like men.”
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for women being all they can be in this world. I’d go bonkers without my entrepreneurial pursuits. I know we’ve made immense strides in women being treated with respect. Yet, somewhere along the way, we threw away something beautiful. I know scads of heterosexual woman who would say their hearts crave what we tossed away … a man of courage, honor, integrity, and courtesy … a man who is ready and willing to help the weak and gallantly protect women.
I’m probably going to catch a lot of flak for this, but I want to go on record as saying…
- Give me a man who sees me struggling with a light fixture and pitches in to help.
- Give me a man who tells me the truth, a man whose word is his bond.
- Give me a man who honors and values women and who doesn’t use their images for self-stimulation instead of taking the time to build a true connection with me.
- Give me a man who respects and honors my womanhood, who will champion my cause, lighten my load and be a true companion on the adventure.
- Give me a man who is courteous and kind, who thinks about someone other than himself and seeks to lift and serve others.
- Give me a man with passion for life who works hard, plays hard, and loves completely.
- Give me a man who truly listens to me, takes the time to connect with my heart, and then becomes an advocate and a supporter of my dreams.
- Give me a man who admires my physical beauty, but adores even more the beauty of my soul – because he really sees and values ME for who I am inside.
Yes, long live the chivalrous man! Some of us still value you!

To read more of Marnie's articles, visit her blog by clicking here.