Conversations from this week.
Hi everyone! I haven't been on live journal in so long. I am getting on today to post an e-mail I sent this week to a new guy friend of mine here in Springfield. I have been attending a marriage class at a student church which is really interesting because it talks about relationships and our relationship to God and so on. The guy friend of mine, who's name is Keith, drove me there and home again. On the way home we, inevitably, got into a conversation about how my grandparents met on the sole basis that it is such an adorable story. It goes:
My grandma
> was married to a WWII soldier but they guy died in
> combat leaving her with a son. So later she went to
> college to be a teacher. While there she entered her
> son in a cutest baby contest hosted by the student
> newspaper. The kid won. So, my grandpa was the photo
> editor of the paper and apparently lost the photos
> taken by the staff photographer (yeah right) so my
> grandpa had to take it upon himself to get new ones.
> He went to her house and after snapping a few shots
> of mother and child they talked and realized they
> had a class together. next day they walk to class
> together but realize when they get there that the
> prof has an alphabetical order seating chart in
> place leaving them to sit very far apart. So my
> grandpa walks to the prof and asks special
> permission to sit next to my grandma. The prof said
> yes and the rest, as they say, is history.
I don't live more than a couple of minutes from the church so by the time I finished we had almost pulled up to my building. When I was done Keith turned to me and asked me if that's what I wanted. I mean, of course I want it but I hadn't had the chance to think of a real answer to that so i told him I would have to think about it. I thought about it a lot and later the next day wrote him an e-mail saying:
Hi!
So, I have been thinking about the conversation we had last night about my grandparents' story. You had asked me if that was what I wanted and I couldn't think of an answer right then. But, I have been thinking and I guess I would say that I believe most girls do sort of daydream, overtly or not, about that romantic, cute story that they can tell their children and grandchildren for generations. I would not exclude myself from that generalization. I must note, however, that in society today simple acts of chivalry are so few and far between (arguably because they can go so unappreciated by some) that the little things can sweep a lot of girls off their feet easily. Simple acts of chivalry would include opening doors, having real conversations, finding out her favorite flowers and buying them, offering to pay, etc. The truth of the matter is that, despite the women's rights movement that taught women to fight for equal pay and such, most women still want those little things and those little things add up to romance. My grandpa walking to the front of the room to ask the professor's permission to sit by my grandma was a simple act of chivalry and it lead to others. Of course there are also those chivalrous acts that girls should do too. I mean, it's a two way street and it's unfair to expect someone else to do all the work. Things like when a guy unlocks your door first a girl should reach over and unlock the guy's door if it isn't already, compromising on movie or dinner choices,and simply reminding him that his little acts aren't in vain by saying thanks, etc. Both lists could go on forever but I think you get the picture. In short I guess I do want what my grandma got, but I think every nice person deserves that treatment.
Keith write me back later saying he was really asking to find out if I had the moxie to answer the question to begin with. Haha. Those of you who know me know that I have enough moxie for me and the girl next to me too. ;-) But I wanted to post this because Cece asked me for a copy and I figured I ought to just share it with everyone. I hope you can get as much out of it as I continue to get.
My grandma
> was married to a WWII soldier but they guy died in
> combat leaving her with a son. So later she went to
> college to be a teacher. While there she entered her
> son in a cutest baby contest hosted by the student
> newspaper. The kid won. So, my grandpa was the photo
> editor of the paper and apparently lost the photos
> taken by the staff photographer (yeah right) so my
> grandpa had to take it upon himself to get new ones.
> He went to her house and after snapping a few shots
> of mother and child they talked and realized they
> had a class together. next day they walk to class
> together but realize when they get there that the
> prof has an alphabetical order seating chart in
> place leaving them to sit very far apart. So my
> grandpa walks to the prof and asks special
> permission to sit next to my grandma. The prof said
> yes and the rest, as they say, is history.
I don't live more than a couple of minutes from the church so by the time I finished we had almost pulled up to my building. When I was done Keith turned to me and asked me if that's what I wanted. I mean, of course I want it but I hadn't had the chance to think of a real answer to that so i told him I would have to think about it. I thought about it a lot and later the next day wrote him an e-mail saying:
Hi!
So, I have been thinking about the conversation we had last night about my grandparents' story. You had asked me if that was what I wanted and I couldn't think of an answer right then. But, I have been thinking and I guess I would say that I believe most girls do sort of daydream, overtly or not, about that romantic, cute story that they can tell their children and grandchildren for generations. I would not exclude myself from that generalization. I must note, however, that in society today simple acts of chivalry are so few and far between (arguably because they can go so unappreciated by some) that the little things can sweep a lot of girls off their feet easily. Simple acts of chivalry would include opening doors, having real conversations, finding out her favorite flowers and buying them, offering to pay, etc. The truth of the matter is that, despite the women's rights movement that taught women to fight for equal pay and such, most women still want those little things and those little things add up to romance. My grandpa walking to the front of the room to ask the professor's permission to sit by my grandma was a simple act of chivalry and it lead to others. Of course there are also those chivalrous acts that girls should do too. I mean, it's a two way street and it's unfair to expect someone else to do all the work. Things like when a guy unlocks your door first a girl should reach over and unlock the guy's door if it isn't already, compromising on movie or dinner choices,and simply reminding him that his little acts aren't in vain by saying thanks, etc. Both lists could go on forever but I think you get the picture. In short I guess I do want what my grandma got, but I think every nice person deserves that treatment.
Keith write me back later saying he was really asking to find out if I had the moxie to answer the question to begin with. Haha. Those of you who know me know that I have enough moxie for me and the girl next to me too. ;-) But I wanted to post this because Cece asked me for a copy and I figured I ought to just share it with everyone. I hope you can get as much out of it as I continue to get.