Chivalry is dead.
Recently, I’ve been busy with teaching an adult Sunday school class on Chuck Colson’s ‘Being the Body’. Just trying to stretch myself – live on the edge – live outside my comfort zone. This experience is proving to be intellectually satisfying, spiritually awakening, character molding.
BUT…the one issue I have is every Sunday is the mad rush to set-up my classroom. Each Sunday my classroom’s tables go missing and the chairs in my room are stacked up high. To clarify my position, I am an ardent feminist. But let’s face the facts, I’m not as efficient in moving tables as my male counterpart. Though I do not expect the boys my age to get every door or help with heavy books, packages, pots of food or furniture (as they do in Montreal I might add!!), I do expect common decency.
To highlight my extreme PO factor on the situation, I’ll recount what happened this past Sunday. I looked to see that my classroom was again devoid of tables and chairs. I began to unstack the chairs myself. A very kind and spunky auntie (who is not more than 5 feet tall and most definitely less than 100 pounds) put down her bags to help me. She made a comment to the crew of guys idling nearby “Hey – c’mon come help your teacher. Show some love and respect for your teacher”. To which a ‘gentleman’ I had previously held in high esteem retorted: “The teacher should earn our respect” and made no move to help! The same crew of guys continued their conversation as Auntie P and I hustled.
The next task – procuring tables for my classroom. My dear friend EmC helped me to ask some ‘gentlemen’ to find and carry 2 large tables. Some guys replied in the most agreeable manner but made zero attempt to actually help. Some guys made rude comments about us getting our own tables. Most just laughed it off. Humiliated that my plea for help was ignored in the most uncompassionate fashion, I left on my own to search for the tables (EmC was wearing stilettos and just had coffee spilled on her). I found the tables 2 corridors down stacked up 3 on top of each other. I began to haul the table one leg at a time dragging it down the hall. My Pastor (a woman) saw my struggle and stopped her Sunday pastor duties to help me carry this table. Enraged, she called out to the many guys in the corridor to help out. Then I went back and began to haul the second table on my own – a set of boys eventually came and helped.
The irony of the situation is that some of the guys actually stayed behind my class to ‘chat me up’?!?!!!
What’s up with the men in Toronto/Mississauga? Have their mothers babied them into pure rudeness? Let me tell you, there is nothing more unattractive than a guy without manners. I’ve witnessed really bad behaviour at this particular establishment. Boys grabbing the available chairs while girls have to hustle to carry their own chairs to the circle. Boys running off ahead while girls are carrying camping/cooking supplies. There is perhaps the odd exception – but I’m not convinced that this town raised gentlemen. Perhaps Toronto women are more willing to accept crap while Montreal women are less tolerant of poor behaviour. Whatever it is, I have yet to come across a Torontonian who consistently demonstrates common courtesy and gentleman-like qualities.
Recently, I’ve been busy with teaching an adult Sunday school class on Chuck Colson’s ‘Being the Body’. Just trying to stretch myself – live on the edge – live outside my comfort zone. This experience is proving to be intellectually satisfying, spiritually awakening, character molding.
BUT…the one issue I have is every Sunday is the mad rush to set-up my classroom. Each Sunday my classroom’s tables go missing and the chairs in my room are stacked up high. To clarify my position, I am an ardent feminist. But let’s face the facts, I’m not as efficient in moving tables as my male counterpart. Though I do not expect the boys my age to get every door or help with heavy books, packages, pots of food or furniture (as they do in Montreal I might add!!), I do expect common decency.
To highlight my extreme PO factor on the situation, I’ll recount what happened this past Sunday. I looked to see that my classroom was again devoid of tables and chairs. I began to unstack the chairs myself. A very kind and spunky auntie (who is not more than 5 feet tall and most definitely less than 100 pounds) put down her bags to help me. She made a comment to the crew of guys idling nearby “Hey – c’mon come help your teacher. Show some love and respect for your teacher”. To which a ‘gentleman’ I had previously held in high esteem retorted: “The teacher should earn our respect” and made no move to help! The same crew of guys continued their conversation as Auntie P and I hustled.
The next task – procuring tables for my classroom. My dear friend EmC helped me to ask some ‘gentlemen’ to find and carry 2 large tables. Some guys replied in the most agreeable manner but made zero attempt to actually help. Some guys made rude comments about us getting our own tables. Most just laughed it off. Humiliated that my plea for help was ignored in the most uncompassionate fashion, I left on my own to search for the tables (EmC was wearing stilettos and just had coffee spilled on her). I found the tables 2 corridors down stacked up 3 on top of each other. I began to haul the table one leg at a time dragging it down the hall. My Pastor (a woman) saw my struggle and stopped her Sunday pastor duties to help me carry this table. Enraged, she called out to the many guys in the corridor to help out. Then I went back and began to haul the second table on my own – a set of boys eventually came and helped.
The irony of the situation is that some of the guys actually stayed behind my class to ‘chat me up’?!?!!!
What’s up with the men in Toronto/Mississauga? Have their mothers babied them into pure rudeness? Let me tell you, there is nothing more unattractive than a guy without manners. I’ve witnessed really bad behaviour at this particular establishment. Boys grabbing the available chairs while girls have to hustle to carry their own chairs to the circle. Boys running off ahead while girls are carrying camping/cooking supplies. There is perhaps the odd exception – but I’m not convinced that this town raised gentlemen. Perhaps Toronto women are more willing to accept crap while Montreal women are less tolerant of poor behaviour. Whatever it is, I have yet to come across a Torontonian who consistently demonstrates common courtesy and gentleman-like qualities.
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