By Darian Eswine

Chivalry: courteous behavior, that of a man towards a woman.

Simple definition. Theoretically it would be simple enough to carry out this behavior. Courteousness should not be hard. It’s just a boy being nice to a girl which to me sounds like a natural act; however, a chivalrous man is now a dying breed.

These days, a lot of women want to do everything for themselves. I still believe you can take care of yourself and let the man be the man.

I am not a feminist and I want to be taken care of in certain ways. I want my knight in shining armor, I want to be saved from the tower, and I want to ride off into the seemingly endless sunset after romantically being saved from an unrealistically perilous situation.

Although slightly cheesy, it provides me with the most satisfying end to my life story. Now my message to boys out there is: you are brutally annihilating my dream. I’m speaking generally here; not every single boy is impolite to women, but the numbers do seem to be increasing.

I cannot provide a reason for the dwindling acts of chivalry being seen in the school hallways and in the world, but I can provide a few simple tips, other than the basic opening doors and pulling chairs out, to transform you into the Prince Charming every man should be.

1) Be buff, carry stuff

Books are just the beginning to this courteous act. A guy can carry books, backpacks, and food. Yes, food. If a girl is at a restaurant and she gets take out, it would be appropriate for the man to go up and get the order even if it’s not his order. No, I don’t mean some random guy at McDonalds should go get the girl’s food. This only applies to girls who are with the guy at the restaurant. A man can carry shopping bags, heavy boxes, and the list goes on and on. It is a simple act that could brighten the day.

2) Put a cork in it

Inappropriate language is just that: inappropriate. It does not belong around a girl. I could say so much more on this topic. Curse words, slang, sexual references, and sexist jokes all are to be kept out of earshot of women, and preferably never said…at all. Girls should have clean mouths as well, but that is another problem for another day. Think about what you say before you say it and the world of men will be a better place.

3) Walk this way

This is the number one most forgotten rule of chivalry. It dates back to the horse and buggy age where men walked on the side of the road closest to the buggies. That way, if a wheel splashed a puddle or a horse went rabid, the male would be on the protective side of the woman. This applies to modern times as well. Some women might not even recognize this, but I do. It makes me have a much higher opinion of the man if he moves purposefully to put himself in between me and the cars.

For 18 years I have watched my dad treat my mom with these basic courtesies. I fully expect my male friends, boyfriends, and future husband to treat me with the same respect.

Men were meant to take care of women and I am nothing if not conventional. These three tips coupled with basic good manners will show you are a respectful, courteous gentleman and will most definitely help you win your princess.