Knights of the King

I hope you blogger junkies are enjoying your fill of entries. I've been in a writing sort of mood and hope this satisfies your fix. Now let me tell you about the Knights of the King...

Today at the end of mass, a gentleman got up to speak about a group that he organized last year for our Church called The Knights of the King. He went on to explain that this is a support group for men. My first thought, which I of course whispered to Mrs. Salerno, is "This is my type of group. Sign me up." ha! ha! And then I sat back to hear what he had to say and I nodded along with almost all statements.

The first thing Kevin pointed out was that back in the 50s men were portrayed on screen as the backbone and head of the family where he was responsible to provide the necessities as well as as being the moral fiber of the family. Nowadays men are depicted by such characters as Homer of The Simpsons or Al Bundy of Married with Children.

He was right.

When I think of all my favorite sitcoms, NEVER are the men the admirable parent, leader, or teacher. They are the loser divorcee with a bimbo girlfriend (The New Adventures of Old Christine or Reba), the old man sitting in front of the TV waiting for people do his bidding (Everybody Loves Raymond or Frazier), or the educated man who can't maintain a relationship (Ross of Friends or The Big Ban Theory.) There are so many more shows that make the father lovable but a still a needy character - to name a few Still Standing, George Lopez, and Home Improvement.

This group of men, The Knights, offers a place were men can get past the how-are-you stage in a conversation, past the score of the big game, and move on to how well or not-so-well they are handling the financial responsibilities that hang over them, the anxieties of changing times, the parenting problems, the marital discord, and whatever is missing from many homes. Not only will it be a safe haven for men's inner workings but a place to reconnect with their faith. After all, man or woman, weren't we all given the gift of baptism, whatever your faith may be?

Now I can tell you personally that my former-husband, my father, my stepfather, and my friends' husbands can make you think twice about the roles of a man. Some of them may imitate a show quite well (Bill!) and some may have follow a faith (Dad!), but most of them do not have a source of male support. Sure, they may get along with their wives' husbands and consider them friends...and some truly are friends...but maybe it would be good to see more men enjoy being a Knight of the King or at least develop their own K3 night with their peers. [Side note: I'm not comparing a Church group to our friendship, though I thank God for it every day!]

And as I like to always "leave them laughing," I end this post with a suggestion from Kerry...since I can't join this men's group, maybe I can hang out by the coffee as if I volunteer there and see what's available. Hmmm! An idea...who needs eHarmony when I can find me a Knight?!?