Early Propaganda

As most of you know, “Being Noble” comes from a comparison to the 'upper classes.' It seems that from Medieval to Victorian ages, the common masses were told that to behave 'nobly' was ethical and proper, but was it? With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, we can see that the kings & others of their ilk tended to act like they were on Dallas. They exploited, tortured, and in-bred more frequently than their matrimonial vows allowed (not to mention serving girls & peasants). Giving 'Nobility' a moral superiority is as much of a propaganda trick as the Pharaoh's calling themselves the sons of gods, or the Persian kings calling the,selves the sons of gods, or the Asian Emperors calling themselves the sons of the Dragon gods (coincidence?).

But like Richard Prior did with the other “N-Word,” we've taken it from those who originally used it to bend to out purposes. Question is, how do we apply Nobility to our lives? I'm fortunate to live in a smaller city where people aren't as jaded by traffic and overall crowding, so I get to see random acts of senseless kindness from time to time. Working in retail, I see no shortage of dinks, but there's plenty of people who will let someone ahead of them in line if they have a really small order (I see this about once a week). There was also one instance where a woman's bank card wouldn't work, but when she left to call her bank, the rest of the line-up passed the hat and paid for her order ($400+), on the condition that their names weren't shared with the woman – now THAT'S noble! (I pray that they remember that when they reap what they've sown)

That extreme act is east to remember, but it isn't every day. What is every day though is what's going to make the world a better place. If I make eye-contact with someone, I smile & say hello (then often complain about the weather; an Ontario tradition). Often, the small daily acts are what take someone's teetering mood, and tips it from tears to laughter. Sometimes it seems that the world is getting more cold & brutal, but a closer look will show people rebelling against this, and share encouragement and light – the Blogging community has shown this over and over! Give yourselves a pat on the back, people!