Oh, for the good old days

This afternoon had me wishing  for the days when propriety and manners were cultivated, rather than shunned in a headlong rush to tell the world of every passing emotion.  Nowadays merely having an opinion is all the reason anyone needs for sharing it.

Oh for a well-trained, well-mannered youth.

My six year old son and eight year old daughter had been playing outside when my daughter burst through the door dripping with dears and choking on sobs.  Something special to her had been ridiculed ("That's stupid!") and then she had been snubbed ("We're playing and it's none of your business!" followed by running away from her whenever she got close.)

We talked through the situation, I held her close and then she got on with her life.  Good girl.  She mentioned that her brother had been crying in the carport too.  A while later, I pulled him aside and asked what he had been crying about.

"I saw how mean they were being to Hannah," he said, tears welling up again.  "I wanted to protect her, but I was too late."

I wrapped my arms around that boy and hugged him till I thought his ears might pop off.

Chivalry is not dead.  The heart of a knight warrior (albeit a six year old knight warrior) beats in the heart of that boy.  His sister had been in distress and he wanted to be on hand to place himself between her and the dragons (albeit an 8 and a 9 year old dragon, but sometimes those are the worst kind.)

While I am exceedingly, exceptionally, extraordinarily fond of pants and voting and equal employment opportunities, I can see the beauty of bygone days.  Carefully cultivated words, elevated thoughts, dignity, duty, propriety and perhaps even kindness are fast becoming casualties in this fast paced world.

That's it.  I am having a cup of tea.  I may even indulge in some high-toned verbiage.  I may even put napkins on the table tonight.

In this way I shall "take arms agains this sea of troubles, and by opposing end them."  Okay, a cup of tea won't solve all of society's woes, but I did just quote Hamlet, and that has to count for high-toned verbiage.