Groverous Chilvalry.

In the course of pretending to not read, there were a great many little gems I read, one of which I will share with you today.

When I was rather young--think five here--I had a book that revolved around Grover, you know, the blue fellow from Sesame Street. Part of the reason I think I was five, was because Grover was going to school for the first time, and I imagine that is the reason that I, who had just turned five and was entering kindergarten, received this book in the first place.

The great conflict of this work revolves around lunch in the cafeteria. The girl sitting with Grover wants to trade her Bologna sandwich for his PB&J. Grover does not really want to trade sandwiches, and he really hates Bologna, but he sees how much she really wants to trade. Ultimately, Grover decides that he will trade his own beloved PB&J for her Bologna, just to make her happy. And even though he went out later and shed some solitary tears of hunger and frustration, he did the right thing and built on a new friendship.

From a young age I was--remarkably enough--moved by this sacrifice.

It was with still powerful childhood memories of Grover in mind that I agreed to take a co-workers shift for this coming Friday. It will be her birthday, and they were not going to let her take the day off, no matter how early she asked, and no-one else would take the shift.

I really did not want to take that shift, and the fact that I took that shift means that I get to be a stress puppy for the next week, but I knew that it would make her happy, and I know that it is good.

It sounds funny, but this is one of the standards against which I hold myself. It is simplistic, innocent, over-simplified, and totally brilliant. This chivalry is not just pretty words and kind gestures; it is the will to sacrifice his own comfort and peace for the happiness of others.

Now, I have to work on the other part of chivalry shown to us by Grover; that is, not making my loved ones suffer with me...but that is going to take some practice.

Anyway. Yeah. No. My basic ideas of chivalry did not come from extensive study or the words of great men, just the story of a little monster trying to do the right thing.

Comments

  1. AnanDecember 8, 2010 at 9:28 AM

    This is amazing, and adorable on Grover's part. I bet you wish you were fuzzy and blue too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fxf8gHegSXA

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

To Every Hobo a Suit...or Not

A sad reality has struck me. I have known it for a long time, but only now do I actually feel the enormity of what it was I saw. Men do not wear suits, and those few who can be found in a suit, really do not wear them very well. The suits I see have rolled collars, gaping necks, puckered backs, strained buttons. Men seldom make the mistake of choosing a suit that is too large; they but suits that cling to them in the hope that it will be slimming. They don them in this shameless style because they do not understand the marvelous metamorphosing power of a decent suit; the power to broaden your shoulders and make your gut appear, not bloated, but as part and parcel of your steady, consequential, masculinity. Last week I fitted at least four gentlemen of more than forty years who claimed never to have purchased a suit. All of them ultimately elected the cheapest available option. All seemed chagrined over having to buy a suit, and almost seemed to wear the fact that they had never worn ...
Read more

Lamp Post

Lamp Post, Aged 5, died earlier this afternoon when some privileged white girl ran him over. Lamp Post was fond of the outdoors and was especially good with dogs. According to those who knew Lamp, he was "a beacon in the darkness." It is as yet unknown what caused the accident which ended Lamp's bright future, but locals are suggesting it might have been deliberate. Fort Wayne Police say they believe the accident to be tied to illegal drag-racing, but are withholding all further comment pending a formal investigation.
Read more

Tired, not Sleepy.

*Danger* *Point of no return* I am at war. There is no enemy except the one within, and my task is not to fight him, but to keep him disciplined. The most annoying thing about this battle is that, in my everyday surroundings, the longer and better that I hold my discipline the more it becomes a burden. It is abnormal in the eyes of society, and abnormality is a grievous sin. I will not comply and my non-compliance is often misconstrued as dysfunction. I do not have a girlfriend. There is a lot of weight in that phrase. Healthy American males of my age are expected to form romantic attachments. If they do not form any attachments of this kind, it is often thought that 1) We are not sufficiently attractive, or, 2) We are merely anti-social. What on earth could possibly be wrong with me? Why is that child unable/unwilling to attract a mate? Has he been gelded? Is he afraid??? My pride would just as soon answer them by doing as they expect. What better way to shut them up than to give up a...
Read more