Chivalry tag

THE MISSION:

The purpose of this tag is to create a list of a modern day Code of Chivalry. King Arthur of the Round Table is a heroic figure of English legend. Arthur and his knights were said to live by a set of beliefs known as the Code of Chivalry. A few rules of the code are:

*Live one’s life so that it is worthy of respect and honor.
*Live for freedom, justice, and all that is good.
*Be polite and attentive.
*Never betray a confidence or a comrade.
*Protect the innocent.


Come up with a modern Code of Chivalry. Write a list of at least 8 things people should do today to make modern society more chivalrous --- that is, more considerate and courteous.


MY RESPONSE:

Use your signal.
The one good thing about "Shoot ’Em Up" was when Clive Owen started bitching about people not using their signal lights on the road. "One inch!" to move your finger is all it takes. True. And it’s not just about not acting like an entitled douchebag; it is one ripple in the intuitive game of driving. By taking a piece of guesswork out of the puzzle, you could literally be saving your own life and the lives of others. Don’t act like the road revolves around you. It could be the last mistake you ever make.


Use the magic words.
"Please." "Thank you." "You’re welcome." So simple, so obvious, yet I am here to attest to the fact that they are used way more infrequently than one might think. "Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson. I know as much as almost anyone and more than some, how overwhelming life and one’s thoughts can get. Get out of it long enough to use basic manners. It can really do a lot to even help your own day.


Tip.
I realize I’ve beaten this horse, but I will continue to do so as long as I hear servers saying, "All night long, I’ve been getting 10 percent tips." Good servers, not crappy servers.

10 percent
Five dollars
Whatever you can afford

Double the tax. Ideally, do that, then give more. But any less than double the tax is inexcusable. And really, I can say from experience that a good tip can do a LOT in the whole positivity ripple.


Don’t hook up with someone if you don’t want a relationship and they do.
I’m growing weary of hearing the same old song and dance. People, you can say "Don’t get attached," or some variety of that, but if you KNOW the other person has feelings for you beyond that, be the bigger man or woman. Your penis isn’t going to fall if if you don’t get laid for one night. Save yourself the hassle, and the other person the hurt. Stop being a cliché.


Stop gossiping already.
Sure, I understand the fun of gossip. But it’s also like, can’t you be interesting on your own for one minute? Read a book, see a movie, whatever. But mix up the conversation now and then. And know that the more you gossip, the fewer the people who’ll trust you...and the fewer the people you can trust.


Leave the toilet seat...not WET.
I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. The toilet is not a monster set to attack you the second you sit your ass down on the seat. If you really are that afraid, then by all means do what you need to do -- use a seat cover; put down toilet paper; squat...but for crying out loud, DON’T take a dry toilet seat and cover it with your drops of urine, or leave behind toilet paper on the seat. Et cetera, et cetera. Why you think your urine is special, I’m not sure, but it is not my job to clean it up, and that is disgusting. Either be dainty or don’t be dainty, but it’s not very dainty to display your own piss in public. Word.


Hands at your side! Hands at your side!
MEANING, if you really are just so important that you absolutely can NOT get off of your cell phone in a situation where you have to interact with another human being, at the very LEAST have the courtesy to put the phone down, you know? Town Bagel has the awesomest sign ever, that says something to the effect of, "We will not wait on you while you are on your phone, because you’re being rude." Not that exact phrasing, but the word rude is in there. And seriously. Whether at a 7-11, a supermarket or a restaurant, if the person taking care of you has a pulse, s/he deserves to not be treated like a robot.


Smile!
Cliché? Yes. But you know, my brother wrote something recently about how someone’s smiling at him really made his day better. And I thought about it, and there have definitely been times that a smile has made me feel better. At the very least, you are saying with your smile that you see the other person, and that he or she isn’t invisible, and is worth a smile. So simple, so easy -- but you never know who that smile meant the world to that day.




©2008