THE ORIGIN OF CHIVALRY

My understanding is that chivalry saved Europe. Will someone correct me if I'm wrong? Here's the way I heard it...

The early Christians were pacifists, which is fine except Europe in the Dark Ages needed muscle to defend itself against Scandanavian, Mongolian and Islamic predators. The newly Christianized German barbarians came up with an idea that would simultaneously satisfy the pacifists and still allow Europe to re-arm, and that idea was built on the old German idea of knighthood.

The new idea was that the pacifists were right...yes, it is wrong to kill...but only if you do it to further your own ends. It's not wrong if you kill unsefishly, for someone else's sake and not your own. The new synthesis was called chivalry and the first knights of this type (there were other types) were widely respected for their high ideals. Without these knights Europe would surely have sucumbed to internal wars and outside predators.

So, have I got it right? I can't remember where I read this.

WHAT HAPPENED AT LUNCH TODAY

A good day so far, I figured.


I was on my way from the parking lot to the restaurant when I realized that an old lady with a walker was also hobbling toward the door from a different direction. She looked kind of frail so I speeded up a little, thinking I'd hold the door open for her. Big mistake!


When she saw me speeding up she figured I was trying to beat her to the door so I could get a better place in line... so she hobbled faster. I saw her hobbling faster so I walked faster. She saw me walk faster so she began to run, taking what for her were giant strides with the walker. I saw her running so I ran even faster. She saw me running and really tore for the door. Neck and neck, we both almost dived for the door. I don't mean to brag but I got there a full second or two before her, and I gallantly (I thought) opened the door for her.


No thanks were offered but a good deed is its own reward.