Many people believe that chivalry is dead. For the most part, I would say it is. We live in the age of instant gratification. Everyone wants something and they want it now. It used to be that when a gentleman wanted to date a young woman, there were certain steps to be followed. Usually, the young man needed to talk with the girl’s parents for example. Nowadays, the parents find out about the third or the fourth boyfriend, if they are lucky.
There was an aura of formality to the entire process. The boy’s parents knew the girl’s parents long before any talks about marriage were in the air. Things like that took their time, and that’s what made the entire process more enjoyable. Today, everything is rushed. Parents of both groom and bride-to-be meet at the wedding rehearsals if they are lucky. This brings more stress to the parents. They are supposed to agree and be happy with someone they have never met before.
Chivalry also translated to other aspects like handing a handkerchief. Most teens don’t even know what that is. Whenever a lady would get herself dirty or needed to clean something, there was always a gentleman willing to hand her a handkerchief. This was the reason that most gentlemen carried one. Some old-fashioned gentlemen still do, fortunately.
Finally, one other thing gentleman used to do for ladies is give them their seat. Whether it be at a sporting event, theater or even the bus. A gentleman would always stand up when he saw a lady was standing. This used to mean something before, now it is only a memory. Only older gentlemen do this and when you get to see it, it is something that makes everyone feel good.
Unfortunately, this is not very common. Security cameras on board a bus captured the moment when a lady carrying a baby get on board. The lady pays the fare and positions herself at the front of the bus. The bus has standing room only, so she hangs on to the pole while holding her baby. As anyone would think, it was very difficult. The driver continued his route and waited. He was sure one of the passengers would give her their seat.
After a few seconds, the driver sees no reaction from the passengers. This was too much for him. He is seeing the lady struggle to hang on and carry her baby and the passengers are not doing anything to help her. Some are texting or talking, but no one seems to care. He stops the bus and does something that surprises everyone.
