Friday, July 30, 2010

Where has the Knight in the Family gone?

You can find an amusing story "The Knight in Shining Armor" in the book Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray. The story is in the chapter about Discovering our Different Emotional Needs, specifically on page 138 of the 1992 edition. Parents in the family will do well by reading at least this chapter.

What I like about that story is the way it illustrates how women in the family, with all their good intentions, can almost always turn off their men and boys. It illustrates how the Knight in shining armor of the olden days really still thrive in the genes of men even up to this day.

The question is, how does the family appreciate the Knight?

Let me relate to you the story as shortly as I could. But I suggest you get your own copy of the book because every page of it contains wisdom that one would rather learn from books that from having to learn it the proverbial "hard way."

Here goes the abridged story . . .

Imagine a knight in shining armor traveling through the countryside. Suddenly he hears a woman crying out in distress. In an instant he comes alive. Urging his horse to a gallop, he races to her castle, where she is trapped by a dragon. The noble knight pulls out his sword and slays the dragon. As a result, he is lovingly received by the princess xxx He and the princess fall in love.
A month later the noble knight goes off on another trip. On his way back, he hears his beloved princess crying out for help. Another dragon has attacked the castle. When the knight arrives he pulls out his sword to slay the dragon.
Before he swings, the princess cries out from the tower, "Don't use your sword, use this noose. It will work better." xxx He wraps it around the dragon's neck and then pulls hard. The dragon dies and everyone rejoices.
At the celebration dinner the knight feels he didn't really do anything. Somehow, because he used her noose and didn't use his sword, he doesn't quite feel worthy of the town's trust and admiration. After the event he is slightly depressed and forgets to shine his armor.
Another month passed by and another dragon attacked the princes. The knight came to rescue but hesitated for a moment whether he should use the sword or the noose. At this moment, the dragon got the chance to burn the knight's arm.The princess then threw a poison to the knight, which the knight poured into the dragon's mouth. The third dragon died, everyone celebrated; but the knight felt ashamed.

After a while the knight went out again for another trip, along with the reminder from the princess to bring the noose and the poison. The reminders made the knight feel even more useless.
This time on his journey he hears another woman in distress. As he rushes to her call, his depression is lifted and he feels confident and alive. But as he draws his sword to slay the dragon, he again hesitates. He wonders, Should I use my sword, the noose, or the poison? What would the princess say?
For a moment he is confused. But then he remembers how he had felt before he knew the princess, back in the days when he only carried a sword. With a burst of renewed confidence he throws off the noose and poison and charges the dragon with his trusted sword. He slays the dragon and the townspeople rejoice.
The knight in shining armor never returned to his princess. He stayed in this new village and lived happily ever after. He eventually married, but only after making sure his new partner knew nothing about nooses and poisons.
Can you relate with the story?

Tell me about it :)

1 comment:

  1. It is not only a woman 's job. Two make a marriage. Men must also learn to accept their faults rather than running to mistress. The story clearly points out the big ego of a man who always wants women to be their slave rather than a woman who is equal to him and as talented as him. History is proof of this. Couldn't the knight see the concern of the princess that she doesn't want him to get hurt? she wants to make sure he is safe. She can't just stop there and wait for him to get burned? NO a man won't see this. They are just obsessed with themselves rather than see someone's love. THEY CANNOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE WOMAN'S ACHIEVEMENT. THIS IS WHY IN THE PAST MEN ALL OVER THE WORLD NEVER GAVE WOMEN ANY RIGHTS, KEPT THEM AT HOME TO SERVE THEM SO THAT THEY COULD FEEL AS KINGS like the knight who chose to live with the second woman who knew nothing so as to satisfy his ego and be the hero among the weak. Just like a man with one eye is a king among blind.
    Men would never stay somewhere where there is real competition instad they look for mistress and those dumb women who stroke their ego RATHER THAN FACE THE HARSH REALITY THAT THERE ARE FAULTS IN THEM WHICH HAVE TO BE CORRECTED INSTEAD THEY RUN OFF TO THESE WOMEN WHERE THEY CAN GET THE SATISFACTION OF BEING A HERO IN FRONT OF DUMB WOMEN WHO HE KNOWS WILL NEVER BLAME HIM FOR RUNNING THE HOUSEHOLD IN WRONG WAY.
    Why don't they pay the bills on time when they find being reminded as so resentful? no. instead he calls his wife a nagger, pushes away his responsibilities and blame the woman.

    ReplyDelete