Taking Off My Armor

There is a concept in psychology referred to as archetypes, the idea being that humans can be understood by tracing behavior to shared universal symbolic concepts. I wondered for many years which archetype I manifested in my life. Well, they say if you seek you shall find. What they didn't tell you is where you may find it.

I was working at one of those supermarket bakeries in Gatesville,Texas when I learned who I was. A woman I was working with pointed it out to me and I have never forgotten that moment. She had been having a rough day because we were short-handed that day. I saw she was struggling, so I told her that I would be over to help her get caught up. She smiled with gratitude and then said "Thank you, Mr. Pickett. By the way, did you know you got this knight in shining armor thing goin' on?"

Think you're bulletproof?

There you have it. She nailed it. That's my button. Do you need help? Are you in distress? Tell Rob and he'll come a'runnin' to right the wrong and rescue the damsel in distress. The knight in shining armor is the theme that runs through my entire life since I was a small child. It's how I approached religion, it's how I've chosen my jobs, it's how I've involved myself in relationships. It's good work if you can get it and you're everyone's hero.

Now let me tell you about the shadow side of the knight.

The knight is always always at war or preparing for it. "Where is that damn dragon?" They live by a strict code. Don't mess with them or they'll slice your throat without a second thought and good riddance. They're encased in metal that protects their bodies but it also means they are separated from the common man and untouchable. By the same token, knights are unable to touch others and return intimacy. The armor makes knights clumsy and ham-handed when it comes to delicacy. They never settle down.They never get the girl because their lives are work, work, work, work. The knight's armor can also be roasting hot, freezing cold, and terribly suffocating.  There is a hair's breadth difference between the hero and the desperado.

This actually looks comfortable.

Fuck. It's exhausting.