[DFT] Fw: [ChivalryToday] Did I Ever Tell You ... ?

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Did I Ever Tell You ... ?
By Scott Farrell
© 2003 Shining Armor Enterprises
www.ChivalryToday.com

Think of knights in shining armor and the Code of Chivalry, and you
probably think of timeless stories of heroism and adventure. Perhaps
you remember the first time you saw Disney's "The Sword in the Stone,"
a fanciful animated re-telling of the first book of T.H. White's "The
Once and Future King." Maybe you have visions of your high school
English Literature class, where you were introduced to the adventure of
"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." Or maybe you've studied the classic
stories of memorable medieval heroes, such as the poem of El Cid, or
the Song of Roland.

But no matter what level of knightly adventure stories you enjoy,
there's something they all have in common: They are all about people
doing things. The characters in these stories are faced with all manner
of challenges - in both figurative and literal senses of the word - and
they must use their wits and their swords to make things right.

This isn't a coincidence. In the days of knights and armor, nobody had
much in the way of formal education, and only an elite few had the
luxury of philosophizing about the cosmic implications of right and
wrong. Stories like those about King Arthur, Count Roland or El Cid -
stories about people doing things - provided the audiences of the
Middle Ages with concrete, inspirational examples of the Code of
Chivalry in action.

Things have changed quite a bit since then. Today, if we are in a
quandary about moral, ethical or spiritual matters, we often turn to
self-improvement gurus and informational books for advice. And while
there is a great deal of useful information to be found in such books
and seminars, we sometimes overlook the power of a good story.

And this isn't the latest "New York Times" bestselling biography kind
of story we're talking about here. This is storytelling in the most
medieval, chivalric sense of the word - sitting around the dinner table
or at the fireside with mom and dad, or grandma and grandpa, listening
to their accounts of growing up, making their way in the world and
overcoming the challenges that lay between them and their dreams.

Stories like these convey a broad range of lessons. They remind us that
adversity and defeat are ultimately survivable. They teach us that
education and talent should always be supplemented with ingenuity and
determination. And they allow us to be the torch bearers for future
generations, to remind them of what has come before.

Most of all, sitting side-by-side with generations young and old,
sharing the fears, hopes and struggles that have been universal among
the human race since time immemorial, reminds us that there are knights
in shining armor of all ages, genders and backgrounds who live beside
us, each and every day of our lives.

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Readers are permitted and encouraged to share this article with
parents, children or other relations whose actions set an example of
the Code of Chivalry for others. We hope this article will kindle many
stories of days gone by and fondly remembered loved ones. Please
include all copyrights and attributions when sharing articles from
Chivalry Today. Copyright 2003 Scott Farrell and Shining Armor
Enterprises. Visit our website at www.ChivalryToday.com .