Chapter 2: The Courtship and Equal Rights

Ok. So you managed to make a date with the possible girl of your dreams. What next? The ever fun courting process! Courting is defined as the wooing of one person by another. Well guys, the female population has us over a barrel here. Men generally are more visual, as women tend to be a bit more cerebral. To simplify, if they look good, we’re happy. Well guys here comes the disappointment, women are not like that. A good tie and crisp shirt, with that playful smile will get you started, but it will not keep you afloat for long. You need to formulate a plan. You need romance, intrigue and excitement. For sake of clarity, you can NOT get these things at MacDonalds. A bit of care and planning needs to take place. Women like fancy restaurants. Anything with French in the name is probably a good bet. Now guys, these restaurants won’t be serving hamburgers and fries, and most likely will not have your grandma’s special barbeque sauce, but these places still have meat. Steak is usually a staple on these menus. It is very important that we make a good impression guys, so remember, keep your imitation of T-Rex ripping apart meat from the bones. Save that for the second date.

Ok, so we make it to the restaurant. Here is where the little things count. What are the little things you ask? Well I’m glad you did. It means your paying attention. Little things that make women notice are things like, letting her sit first, pulling out her chair, placing your napkin on your lap and not in your shirt, no slurping if you get soup, and most important, always, always use your utensils. Another thing to remember is, unlike dinner with your buddies, it is not a race. Take your time, enjoy her company. If you finish too soon before her, she may feel intimidated and try to finish faster. That could mean your date will end in the emergency room, or with the waiter administering the Heimlich maneuver. With either ending, I can assure you there will not be a second date.

So dinner went well. The next thing that comes up is payment. The thing to remember here is that woman like to see a man pay. Yes they have fought for equal rights, and want to be recognized the same as men, but in the world of romance these things become a bit convoluted. Truthfully, if you pay for her, it will show her that men are not pigs, and that there is still hope for us. It is that hope that we count on guys. If she insists on paying her share, tell her that such a beautiful lady should be treated like a queen, and that you would not think of her paying. Alternatively you could tell her that she could possibly pay next time, setting the possibility for a future date. Little tricks like these will get you far guys, so remember them.

The next thing I want to bring up is Chivalry. What is chivalry? It is defined as the sum of the ideal qualifications of a knight, including courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms. The key things in this are Courtesy and Generosity. Holding the door for her, buying the little stuffed dog in the shop window for her, without her having to ask, letting her go first on the Mini-putt course. Small things that make a world of difference. Now guys just because I mentioned a knight, it doesn’t mean you get to carry a sword. In most cities this is illegal, and will get you a night in jail. So go and put the swords back. Now that the weapons are safely put away, let’s continue.

Women like to be wooed. This is a simple fact, and if you ask them, most women would say of course they like it! Really who wouldn’t? It goes back to the days of yore where men actively courted women and made a giant deal of it. They would go to great lengths to impress the women who had impressed themselves on the hearts of the men. The courting rituals of old are a bit antiquated now, but still have some relevance. Let as look at it shall we?

The courting call was a complicated event. One had to observe the appropriate amount of time between invitation and actual visit.

Where this is not as important as it once was, it is still good space time between, so as not to appear to be a stalker, or freak.

The first courtship calls must be made with the girl's mother present at all times. It was appropriate to bring a small gift for the daughter and Mother.

This is very important still today. I mean really, if the mother doesn’t like you, hoe far do you think you’ll get?

It was extremely important to conduct a proper discussion on only a small amount of topics, all of which covered the man's interests, but nothing too personal.

I would rethink this one for the 21st Century. Discussion is important, and not heavy discussion, but I would make it relevant to something you both enjoy, or guide it towards finding more information on her.

Men sent absurdly romantic love letters gushing such scribes as a "kisses for you, my one true love ".

Guys if I need to tell you how important this is, than you had better close this book now. The key things to remember here is best behavior, act like a gentleman, and show the girl a good time. This will pave the way for better things.