Oops! I May Have Driven Another Nail Into the Chivalry Coffin

Honestly, I did not mean to.

I don't know about you, but lately I've been going about my day looking for ways to serve. I'm not trying to toot my own horn here. Instead, I'm trying to start a service movement. I feel like this pandemic has reminded us that we are not the only ones on this earth. If we could just look around us and help one another out, maybe many of our problems would take care of themselves.

Ok, I'm off my soap box now.

My parents raised me like this and one of the simple things I try to do is hold doors open for people. It's not groundbreaking, but if I reach a store door before someone, I swing around and hold it open for them. To make it less awkward I try to wave them through like an air traffic controller. Actually, that may make it more weird and I should probably stop.

Side note: don't hold a door open in New York City... you'll be there for hours.

Over the holiday weekend, I was walking into a store and I could see an elderly man walking toward the door on the opposite side. His hands were full of his purchases, so I trotted to get to the door first. As I opened it for him I said, "let me get that for you" and waited for him to pass through.

He had this bewildered look on his face and he began to shake his head. He replied, "I'm supposed to hold that for you." I chuckled and pointed out that his hands were full and it was my pleasure to help him out. He mentioned that chivalry is most definitely dead and proceeded to walk toward the parking lot.

I don't believe chivalry is a bad thing nor is it dead. Plus, what about the other unspoken rule of life which is to respect your elders. Holding a door open for someone much older than you is a sign of respect, is it not?

Well, any way you slice it, I probably didn't help the chivalrous cause.