When Knights Were Bold

I seems like we don't have "Knights" anymore, at least not the way I imagine them: Strong, powerful, avatars of honor and truth, riding valiantly into this or that fracas on horseback. 

Defenders of the crown and all that. 

It's possible that we've so over-romanticized knightliness and its inherent cultural penchant for righteousness.  Some knights must have been real knuckleheads!  Maybe it's just that people were more naive then (not that we aren't still).  Imagine a guy in a bar downtown, dressed in armor, talking about his single-handed defeat of a hundred invading barbarians in order to impress some college girl.

Wait... hang on that might actually work.  He'd be more interesting than any of the other stiffs in the place.  Maybe that's a bad example... unless he was also largely unwashed, in which case the example might still be relevant.

Either way, today's college girl isn't going to actually believe him, which was the point (I think).  A medieval serving wench might have fallen for it at face value for lack of a frame of reference.  Either of them might have gone home with him, so he wins either way I guess...

Hmm... 

We need knights, shining armor or not.


They have evolved... they are more clandestine now, and their methods more subversive and cunning.  No more relying on brute strength and 1/4" plate armor.  Instead of hacking off your head on the spot for orchestrating volleys of snot-rockets onto parades of visiting dignitaries, the knights hack your computer, take all your money and change your Facebook relationship status. 

That way when you get home your love-life is in shambles, all your stuff is lying broken on the lawn and some over-privileged trustee five thousand miles away has already spent your money on gaudy new bling for his pet chicken.

So we do still have knights.  They're out there now, fighting for the causes of their nations, sacrificing for the good of everyone else as best they can.  Men and women who keep the rest of us safe, then come home to the bars and clean house with their exotic tales of bravery, travel and camaraderie.  And we can believe their stories, because what frame of reference do we have after all?  

Nothing new under the sun I guess.