Chivalry

Lightnings strike the top of the tower while thunder roars in the background as the valiant Prince, now clad in just his chainmail armor, fights the Wicked Sorceress' evil powers with just his sword and shield. He presses on, as his lady love locked up in the tower frightfully looks on. Amidst the horrifying laughter of the Sorceress, she turns herself into the mightiest and scariest creature on earth. Breathing fire, she scorches everything to keep the Prince from approaching. Still, the Prince moves forward, driven by his love for his damsel-in-distress, his princess, his life, his love. He waits for that golden opportunity to turn the tables on the Dragon-Sorceress. The Dragon Sorceress, then, swings her horned tail to dislodge the Prince's shield. The princess, seeing the plight of her prince, desperately throws everything she can get her hands on at the Dragon Sorceress, to no avail. The poor Prince, without a shield, was no match for the evil Sorceress as she swung her tail again to finish the battle. The Princess screams as her Prince wailed in agony...

But of course, there are no dragons, valiant princes, wicked witches, and locked up princesses nowadays! Or is there?

Chivalry in the middle ages, immortalized in legends and fairy tales, may have disappeared into obsolescence as the modernization of civilizations continue to take place. However, I sometimes feel like the little girl dreaming of her prince to rescue her from the tower. Chivalry may have died as the feminist movements imposed equality between men and women, empowering women to achieve their potential but disenfranchising men who weren't as competitive or valiant as the others.

As a woman, I am grateful for the cultural changes feminism brought, but saddened by the realization that only a handful men will continue to be chivalrous amidst ridicule and criticism. I am a woman, and no matter how much I have achieved in my life, I still need rescuing. How I wish that my man could die for me. Not for fighting dragons, of course, but I wish that he would willingly die in himself for me, giving up his boyhood pleasures, inappropriate immature behavior, and instead, rescue me and care for me and protect me. Women may not understand this. I may be ridiculed for admitting weakness and being needy. I may be. But then, again, if they don't need rescuing and protection, then no one will. I do, so I hope he will.