The way gentlemen act

Was invited to Happy Hour with PGH today. We spoke about life, relationships, and the art of being a gentleman. He was a gentleman true and blue. I've never had a guy stand up while a lady leaves and joins a table (say, if she heads to the washroom). Then of course there's the door opening, the car door handling, the standing on the outside of the road, the gentle/attentive seat pulling/pushing.

He spoke about the gentlemen conduct when we were discussing domestic violence. He said, "Lifting a fist was not part of it." I was curious about what other things were common knowledge and decided to google it. (interesting weblink)

He also said the sooner men learn to be gentlemen, the more they stand to gain out of it. "Especially when younger men aren't as "chivalrous" compared to older men", I quote. If a younger fella in his twenties does something like standing up when a lady leaves the table, he clearly makes himself stands out. (that was what happened when his son landed a job over dinner with a whole table of bright young men interviewing for the same position) I thought about my own experience with guys and agreed in a heartbeat that the first guy in my life I had some butterflies for still remains quite special up to this day because he was a gentlemen, true and blue. And that was when we were 16 .

I think there's just a certain charm that comes with age. But not just charm; I think a lot also has to do with wisdom. PGH is soon set to retire, and I think he just wants to mentor as many people as he can - to make an impact in the lives of others.

On an aside note, he also discussed the fragility of relationships and how he had messed up in his younger days. He shared a lesson and the takeaway was that when you mess something up, there is a possibility you can still be friends. But when that happens, things will not be the same. Very true. I can get over stuff, but the offender will not be appreciated in the same light again.