Chivalry is dead. All across the country, women are opening their own doors, casual relationships are ignited through social networks, and texting, even when on dates, is the norm.
These days, technology has made “dating” an idea of the past.
Few are the days when a man actually calls a woman, asks her on a date, picks her up, opens the car door and every other door to come and drops her back off at her house.
But where did society go wrong? How could this have happened? Why are my friends paying for their own meals on a date?
According to “Why Chivalry is Dead, From a Man’s Perspective” by John Picciuto, “The real problem is that women, for one reason or another, have become complacent and allowed men to get away with adhering to the bare minimum. We no longer have to put in the effort of flowers, chocolates, dates, etc., and if we do, we come off as stage-five clingers.”
I do agree that we as women haven’t put up as much of a fight as we should against this epidemic, but men are equally as responsible.
Women, do not be afraid to tell him to open the door for you, and men, open the door for her. No one wants a stage-five clinger, but someone who doesn’t care is just as bad.
But it’s not just about opening doors. It’s about respect that men and women have for each other.
This world, so full of technology, has given way to a hook-up culture – a culture in which we no longer have high esteem for real, honest relationships. A relationship in which a man takes a woman out, pays for the meal and actual conversation occurs.
A relationship in which God is the focus.
Picciuto writes, “What happened to pulling out chairs and holding doors? What happened to walking on the outside, closest to the street? … I think, in an ever-changing landscape of communication between 140 character tweets, LOLs and ROTFLs, we’ve lost our ability to communicate, altogether.”
But we go to Union. I rarely have to open a door for myself. I notice guys who watch what they say because they’re in front of a woman.
I hear “yes ma’am” and “no sir” a lot.
That’s one reason why I feel so blessed to attend Union, but we can’t let the chivalry stop here. There’s a whole world that believes differently than we do.
I am tired of seeing a couple sitting at a restaurant looking at their phones – the woman is posting her entree on Instagram while the man is checking the latest game scores.
I know that I’m guilty of it, but what happened to real conversations? They must be tucked away somewhere between handwritten letters and phone calls.
So what do we as Christians do? This is the world in which we live, one with parties, hook-ups and casual flings.
We can give in or expect more. We shouldn’t be afraid to take a stand.
I honestly do not care who calls me “old-fashioned” – chivalry can be salvaged.
For me, things won’t change when I graduate and leave this place. It’s time that men and women start holding their ground.
