Most girls grow up with the idyllic dream of being swept off their feet by a knight on a white horse whose sole purpose is to protect and cherish them. They see this only as a fairytale, whimsically sought after, yet unattainable and unacceptable in the real world. But do these knights even vaguely exist anymore or should we just extinguish the dream altogether?
As time goes by, more and more of the chivalry and values one used to associate with a “gentleman” have disappeared. It is not the sole fault of the male. Equality and women’s rights have been ingrained in our minds from childhood. Females are raised to be strong and independent women who do not need to rely on a man or anyone for support. They feel the need to constantly prove they are equal and not an inferior sex. Is this wrong? That is purely a matter of personal opinion. I myself, due to life’s circumstances, decided to raise my daughter in such a manner. The idea being that if she could support herself and be strong and independent, then she would be able to choose a life mate because she wanted one and not because she thought she needed one. I still stand by that. But have I done her an injustice by veering too far to the left? Have I led her to believe that feeling a desire to be taken care of is a weakness? Or even that someone’s desire and efforts to take care of her are signs of their superiority or control?
Let’s just be honest here and totally ignore “socially acceptable” ideas and feminist mantras for the moment. Let’s just talk about human nature. Science. The basic instincts and characteristics of men and women. A woman is generally a smaller and gentler being than a man. Men are typically physically stronger and larger. A female is more inclined to be a caregiver. She has a tendency to be more emotional. Men are more inclined to be protectors and providers. They lean more toward straight line thinking than emotion. Before you jump on your bandwagons of equality and negativity, these are all just general scientific observations shown through studies to be factual. Cave man mentality? Perhaps. Biology and human nature? Definitely! But is that such a bad thing after all? I dare you to find a female that is not turned on by a strong and protective male. And I dare say it would be difficult to find a male that does not appreciate the gentle softness of a woman. That is the basic law of attraction. It leads to the reproduction essential to our survival as a species. So why did society as a whole decide these were bad things? Why did we relegate them to only fairy tales, movie themes and romance novels?
Plain old fear – that is what I think. Fear of society’s expectations. Fear of inferiority. Fear of the definitions society has placed on simple words. When did “provide” become a financial term or tax bracket? Why does “care” now infer weakness of one and control by another? Fear incited by the questions raised in social media, surveys, politically correct diatribes or whatever other source that is out there to wreak havoc with your inner self, making you question everyone’s “ulterior motive”. Always questioning instead of accepting. Always seeking answers from somewhere other than our own hearts or human nature.
Why not try something different? Why not go back in time before social media and political correctness ruled our lives? A time when “knights” existed. A time when chivalry was commonplace. A time when relationships and human nature were not dissected and studied as if potentially harmful.
I say bring us the Knight in Shining Armour and leave off the side of guilt. Let men be strong and protective and let women lean on them for support. Let men provide for their women emotionally, spiritually, and physically and let women accept these gifts as they are intended and reciprocate. Not every woman is given a chance to experience this phenomena. Don’t dismiss it off hand. Don’t belittle it or turn it into something negative. It is not a test of self worth or self sufficiency. As a woman, this does not make you weak or inferior. This merely makes you human.
keepitsimplekerri 