A Gentleman

It's hard to find a gentleman these days. Or maybe it's just tough to find one in my circle of guy friends... I mean, they are great people but they are not necessarily gentlemanly. At least to me, there's a difference.

Take my 2 friends, PK and Jerry. Now, Jerry's a nice sort of fellow - easy-going, helpful, patient - a typical Mr. Nice-Guy but he's definitely not the most gentlemanly guy around. For example, when someone opens the door for all of us, Jerry would happily brush past the girls and walk ahead, whereas PK would usually take a step back to let the girls pass first. Now, it's NOT like I expect guys to do this sort of thing. I DON'T. But it's nice to see a guy behaving so gentlemanly :) Quite refreshing really.

Today when I was out with PK and another friend Ed, it started pouring and we had to cross the road. Ed dashed across the road on his own without waiting for me or turning around to see if I was ok. PK, on the other hand, escorted me across. Once again, it's never something I expect from a guy. I do not think any less of Ed but I am definitely impressed by PK.

But of course, exhibiting gentlemanly behaviour alone is not enough. It's well and great if these chivalrous acts are manifestations of a fine character within. But it's always possible that a guy behaves gentlemanly e.g. opens car doors, gives up his seat, sends a girl back after a date, etc, but is actually a jerk. Any sane woman would definitely prefer a nice, decent guy who may not be chivalrous to a guy who is chivalrous but whose character is questionable. In PK's case, I'm impressed not just because he behaves like a gentleman but also because he is a truly nice chap.