Chivalry. Dead Or Severely Wounded?

Mom raised me to be a gentleman.  My earliest memories include her gentle directions that it was important to stand when a lady entered the room, say “please” and “thank you” any time someone showed you a kindness, those types of things.  I in turn worked hard to instil that chivalrous attitude in my two sons.  I’m proud to say that they adopted and implemented the concept.  No, they weren’t perfect children (particularly through those turbulent teenage years) but in public or when visitors came to our home, they were always on their best ‘company manners’.  To this day, they too believe in those common courtesies and I’m proud to say that they practice them as well.

Call it politeness.  Call it common courtesy.  Call it chivalry.  Whichever you choose, I’m beginning to wonder if the concept hasn’t suffered severe wounds.

Yesterday, I was yelled at by a woman at the shopping mall.  She was a well-dressed, pleasant looking young woman with her arms full of packages as she approached the doors to the mall.  Opening doors for other people, especially women, was one of the things mom expected me to do.  So I walked over and reached for the door handle.  ” I can open the door myself!”, she snarled, lightning bolts shooting from her eyes.  Snarled may be an understatement.  So I apologized, stepped back and went about my business at the mall.

It got me thinking.  What has transpired in our society that someone would take offence to a fellow human being showing a kindness when they obviously needed the assistance?  What other common courtesies have gone by the wayside while I wasn’t paying attention?  Is it still alright to pull out a chair for a lady as she’s about to sit down?

Common courtesy.  Not so common anymore?