Is Chivalry Dead?

 I hope not.  I debated with myself about posting this one, because I'm far from perfect, but decided to post this anyway.  I still err and when I do, my wife is not shy about letting me know when I've messed up, but just let me say that I try my best.

A model on a date with her husband observed two couples having a dinner date.  The restaurant was below ground with no windows.  It had been raining and was still raining quite hard when the four stood at the door.  The four were debating with each other as to who among them should get the car.  One of the men in the group asked who in the group had the least expensive shoes.  That was an "ick" factor for the woman observing the group of four.  Chivalry would say the owner of the car get it for the other three.  But the men debated only about the cost of their shoes.  

Did it really matter?  I thought about this as my wife and I are older; and of course she needs my help in getting in and out of the car.  Maybe I don't wear Louis Vuitton shoes, but I would think of doing nothing else even holding an umbrella for her and getting wet as she gets in the car.  I hold doors for her and help her when she needs it.  But my code of Chivalry says to do these things.  Of course, she'd be angry with me if I didn't and sometimes I don't do things exactly right.  

I'm not boasting, but my wife needs some extra help to get things done.  But that is one reason why I'm never too far from her.  But after nearly 50 years of marriage I've had to learn.  And there are times I still don't get it quite right.  But I never once thought about the cost of my shoes in doing something.  In fact, I've never given much thought to the cost of anything if a sacrifice has to be made.  And that is my point.  Chivalry does not take into account the cost of anything.  Why should it?

I'm not saying I'm a paragon of virtue, but what I am saying is if a guy has to worry about his shoes getting wet, he might be better off barefoot.  Really.  I agree wholeheartedly with the woman who saw this spectacle of four people debating the cost of shoes.  That was an "ick" factor for this woman observing this group of four.  Only one person is responsible to get the car and that is the driver.  No questions asked.  And if a woman is the driver, Chivalry says her date gets the car.  

I read this story and thought to myself that these two men just weren't worthy of either of these women.  Maybe I don't wear expensive shoes that I'd worry about them getting wet, but that is the risk every man faces when he's with a woman.  He just might get wet.  Or if he gives her his coat, he just might get cold.  But I just hope upon hope Chivalry isn't dead.

No man is perfect, and I'm not saying I am.  I've made plenty of mistakes myself in all these years, but I just hope Chivalry doesn't die.  It used to be that women walked on the left side of men, because men were usually right handed and needed the woman on his left side in case he had to draw his sword.  Now men learn to walk on the street side of a woman to protect her from the street.  Water could splash up from the street side and the man simply protected her.  Maybe this is an old-fashiined way of thinking and might be considered sexist today, but it's my hope that Chivalry doesn't die, because I still think there is a cool factor for Chivalry.  

Maybe I'm just old school with my pipe and how I think, but somehow I'm thinking that while Chivalry is old fashioned, I'm just hoping it doesn't go out of style.  Today it is my Savinelli Favola Churchwarden with some Yorktown.  I thank you for your time today and Peace to each one of you.  

Dave