"Gallant hero"

What comes to your mind when you see the word “gallant”?  It’s not a word that we really use all that often in everyday vernacular.  Until I began preparation for this blog, my understanding of the word was limited to someone who is chivalrous, suave, and courteous to women.  And, to be sure, that is one aspect of being gallant.

 

By the way, before I move on, let me reiterate something that I have said in this blog before.  One thing that I want to be said of me after I am gone is that I was a chivalrous gentleman who honored women.  A while back at work, I offered my coat to a female coworker.  Another female coworker who was observing this said something like, “I wish more men made such an offer of genuine chivalry.”  To hear her make that statement made my day!

That’s one aspect of being gallant, but there’s more to the word.  The dictionary actually defines “gallant” as “brave and noble”; followed by “polite and attentive to women”.  In honor of the new Power Rangers movie that just came out (I haven’t seen it yet, but I plan to do so), I thought I would illustrate the “brave and noble” aspect of this word “gallant” from an episode of the original Power Rangers TV series.

In an episode called “Green No More” Tommy Oliver (perhaps the greatest Power Ranger ever) loses his powers.  A villain named Goldar appears to destroy Tommy, but he begins by taunting him.  He plays a slideshow of Tommy as the Green Ranger in action from a mysterious device - with capabilities that apparently include playing random Power Ranger scenes.  “Do you even recognize yourself, Tommy?”  He sneers.  “Do you see what a gallant hero you used to be, Green Ranger?  Always willing to sacrifice, weren’t you?  Always ready.  Always there when the other Rangers needed you…witness the greatness you once were, Tommy, because it’s all over.”  

Goldar’s plan to psychologically defeat Tommy backfires.  Tommy explains to the villain that his slideshow only reminded him of all the good he has done “not only as the Green Ranger, but as me, plain old Tommy.”  Then, in a marvelous display of his gallantry, he defeats Goldar, by procuring the device and using it to teleport the villain away.

Did you notice that Goldar actually called Tommy a “gallant hero”?  This was an apt description.  Surely Tommy was scared, facing a formidable enemy without his powers.  But he courageously fought his battle, and won the day.  I want to be a gallant hero.  I want to be someone who is both chivalrous to women, and also someone who is brave, self-sacrificing, and noble.

Kevin