I hear your shouts. I understand what the people of today are fascinated by. They yearn for bygone concepts like 'courtesy' and 'etiquette' and GALLANTRY!
Well I'll tell you dear reader where the word courtesy comes from. If you've got two dry brain cells to rub together you probably spied the word 'court' hidden in plain sight. And you'd be right to assume that courtesy is rooted in the word court.
Specifically, 'courtesy' comes to us by way of the word 'courteous' which means, 'having manners fit for a royal court.'
We must reclaim the COURT. Wherever you frequent you must think of it as your royal court! Which isn't to say that you treat everyone like their dirt and you're the best. Quite the opposite! You treat everything with great importance and care! This is the seat of power! Whatever goes on here will reverberate throughout the kingdom. Lives are at stake!
The word 'court' comes from the Latin word 'cohors/cohort' which has a DUAL meaning of 'yard' but also 'group' or 'company'. And so a court is not only a place of great importance it also contains within it a group or crew or squad of great importance! The people make the place!
And so to be courteous or show courtesy is not about following some old fashioned rules or being some uptight wet blanket it's about valuing the places and people that shape your life. We desperately need to bring back courts and all the classic court roles.
-king and queen aka sovereigns
-champions
-fools
-jesters
-viziers
-um, courtier! one who attends court!
It's just fun. One of the most fun things to do is to treat silly things with great seriousness.
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