Thank you Mr. E...for being a Gentleman

When I met my husband Jim, he was just 22, a new hire Systems Engineer at EDS. I was just struck by what a gentleman he was. He was always so polite and I will say that after knowing him for some 18 years now, he is still that man.

One day he told me, that he was walking behind a woman entering work, so he sped up to open the door for her. Her thanks to him was a smirk and "You didn't have to open the door for me just because I'm a woman!"

He quickly responded back, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't do it because you are a woman, I did it because I'm a gentleman!" Priceless....

In this day in age, almost 50 years into the "Women's Liberation Movement" women work hard at not being the 'weaker' gender. Aside from what women are doing in the workplace, at home they are taking out the garbage, mowing the lawns and repairing their garbage disposals, as a whole they don't expect doors to be opened, let alone our chairs be pulled out for them! They don't ask for help, that would be weak.

So, today, a typical Monday morning, I drove Chris because it is band day and he has a huge snare drum. I had also volunteered to bring in 29 water bottles for MEAP snacks. So as Chris pulled his drum and backpack, I was heaving the case of water through the parking lot into the school. I was wondering to myself, why didn't sign up for Nutra Grain bars? I was also wondering why I hadn't kept up my exercise routine because if I had I wouldn't be breaking a sweat right now, and I was kicking myself for being such a 'woman'.

Then I see Mr. E., our school's vice principal. He walks over to me and says, "Here let me take that in for you!" Music playing in the background...

There were two voices in my head, the first one said, "Oh thank goodness!!" but the second one said, "You can't make him do that you wimpy girl!" My desire to let him be a gentleman won out!

Thank you Mr. E. for giving me a hand and being a Perfect Gentlemen your manners were not lost on me today! Chivalry is alive and well...