I’ve had this itch to write on this
topic for a few weeks now, but Alex summed it up in a way that just tickled me….haha!!
This is taken from “Make it Mad , by Alex Dubinsky”
with some of my own additions, omissions, and alterations!
In a world full of “cool people,” kids that sue
parents, gangster rap, baggy pants and skinny jeans, the gentlemen is becoming
obsolete. They are a dying breed, wiped out by iPhones and iChats; popped
collars and one night stands; online sex, “gentleman’s clubs,” breaking up over e-mail, and
women that can change their own oil and stand up for themselves in a bar fight.
But this doesn’t mean chivalry is dead. It’s simply evolving.
As a man, I believe we’ve lost sight of how to behave in public. Nobody
likes a drunken, college Frat boy. I promise. Nuclear fallout or
feminist reign is no excuse to quit acting like a gentleman. It’s time to
man up.
Below is a guide to surviving the
21st Century while still remaining a gentleman.
You can and should still hold the
door for a lady. Even if she’s a malicious feminist plotting the fall of
mankind. Ladies, we open the door for you because we know you’re in
charge. People in charge don’t open their own doors. You
enter. We follow.
Stand when a woman comes to the
table. Keep that napkin on your lap. Let the woman order first, and
for the love, never, ever order for her. (Unless she ASKS you to.)
Keep your Blackberry, your Blueberry,
or your Chuck Berry in your pocket while in good company. There is a time
and a place for your iPad, iPhone, and iPod. At the dinner table with
family, coffee with friends, a tandem skydive jump or bike ride, or on a date
is not that place. Show some respect. Make eye contact. The
world won’t stop spinning because you haven’t updated your Facebook status for
an hour.
Be early. Fashionably late is
out of fashion.
If someone else is talking, shut up
and listen. It’s that simple. Got it? Good.
“Yes sir and Yes mam” isn’t old
fashion! Respect your elders even if it makes them uncomfortable.
Gentleman shift the atmosphere when walking into a room! Always leave things better then you found them!
It may be common practice these days
to swear like a sailor on a ship full of swashbuckling pirates, but a gentleman
chooses his words carefully. Your tongue is a rudder. It steers the
whole ship. Tacking on a curse to the end of every sentence does not make
you sound like an individual-it makes you sound uneducated.
No matter what, do not go into a
woman’s purse-even if she asks you to retrieve some mysterious artifact from
it. This is a trap. Haha =) Sometimes it’s best if you let some things in life remain a mystery.
You are not Tyler Durden. Walk
away from altercations. No one will be impressed with you punching
another man in the teeth because he’s eyeballin’ your woman, yo.
You are never over-dressed when
wearing a suit.
Walk tall even if your not sure of yourself, and treat women like the queens that they are and maybe one day you’ll be given one! Don’t expect a queen if you don’t walk like a king!
And for the love, SHAVE. No? Then at least look like you didn’t shave on purpose. How about, do EVERYTHING on purpose!
Read. A gentleman educates
himself. Your iPad and iPhone can now download books for little or no
cost. There’s no excuse.
A quick text message or a sloppy
email sent on your lunch break does not constitute a Thank You Note. Want
to show genuine respect and gratitude? A hand-written, analogue letter will
always hold up in a digital world.
When asking a woman out on a date, a
gentleman does this in person, He does not poke her on Facebook or
shoot her a text. Poor form, my friend. Be confident.
Send flowers on random days… just because! Don’t wait for valentines day… come on!
I sometimes think I’m George Clooney
or Fred Astaire. Dark and mysterious, suave and sophisticated.
Sweeping women off their feet with a wink and a smile, throwing my coat over
puddles, and helping old ladies cross the street. In truth, I’m awkward
and clumsy; I talk too fast and stumble over words. But I’m always
myself, no matter what, because I’m confident in the man that I am. As a
true gentleman should be.
