This I Believe

Colton, my younger brother, is 14. He is completely oblivious to those around him, and so he tends to smash into the elderly, step on children, and stroll over small dogs. Of course, he doesn’t realize the injuries he’s caused until he looks over his shoulder and surveys a trail of whimpering creatures. That’s when I have to tell him that he’s closed the door on Mrs. Brosmer and given her Pomeranian a mild heart attack. To avoid such incidents, my mother and I are teaching Colton to hold open doors for everyone, mind his place in line, and keep his eyes ahead when walking. We’re also instilling ideas of chivalry into his little noggin. He’s learning that, as a man, he must treat women a certain way. He must respect women and treat them as an equal, but that doesn’t mean he should expect them to pay for dinner. I’m certainly a feminist, but I think a man should have an air of courtliness about him. I don’t think it’s demeaning to have a man pull out my seat for me. I believe in manners, chivalry, and decency. Today, some women interpret gallantry as sexism, but they need to rethink their meaning of degradation. I think that, as a society, our interpretation of what is “ok” has become skewed. When did recounting one's latest sexual encounter on the Internet become cool or even accepted? Personal information should remain personal and should never be thought of as welcomed. On the other side of the spectrum, too many people equate being good with being boring. One can be interesting without being crass. I think our society needs to heavily reevaluate itself and reconsider what its values have become. Will such a thing happen? Probably not.