And MY Free Dinner goes To... WIFE OF BATH'S TALE!

“Wommen desiren to have sovereyntee
As wel over hir housbond as hir love,
And for to been in maistrie hym above.”

The tale I like the most is the wife of bath’s tale.  It is a tale about knight who raped a maiden and was almost sentenced to death but, was given consideration by King Arthur’s wife Queen Guinevere. The knight is to find out what women desire the most then he is to be granted freedom.  He travels far to ask every woman he sees but none of them gave any correct answer until he sees an old ugly woman who says she will tell the knight what women desire but he is to do what she wants. The answer is told that women want sovereignty over their husbands he is granted freedom by the queen. The old woman asks of the knight to marry her. He resists but remembers the 

condition, in the end woman transformed into a beautiful maiden and they lived a happy life.

Do not follow vain desires; for verily he who prospers is preserved from lust, greed and anger.
Abu Bakr 


The story itself serves as morale to men.  I honestly think that some men are insensitive about their partner, lover, or wife’s wants, needs and feelings. That’s why I always hear my female classmates shout “chivalry really is dead” when my male classmates are too lazy to help them carry their heavy load or when they drop their pens. The knight in the tale symbolizes us men; the knight in the tale “abducted” the fair maiden in the story not mindful of how it will affect the maiden. The maiden symbolizes the women whom men take advantage of.

It is quite common nowadays for men to be lascivious or lustful. Some men ONLY want sex just to fulfill their desire. But what about those women who were “abominated”? I ask myself.  How will their life go on after that incident? I always ask this question when I hear numerous news about women getting raped.

There are also several cases of women getting beat up by their husbands. Men abuse their power and strength in order to do this, I mean why not have a talk and settle things maturely rather than committing a crime which can result to imprisonment.  This is the reason why several women want freedom and have total control over their husbands. Like what the old woman told the knight.  I think it is just correct for women to desire control over their husbands and be independent. Women as fragile as they are need some space too.

Matthew 7:1 "Do not judge for you too will be judged"


Another lesson the story imparted to me is never judge. The knight saw the old ugly woman and she helped her but, the woman publicly asked him to marry her. The knight didn’t want to at first because the woman is ugly and rather old. That attitude of the Knight is quite judgmental. Judging is something unacceptable. We only seek the person’s exterior or physical side, not bothering to explore his/her personality.  In the end the knight was completely surprised that the old ugly lady turned into a beautiful woman. I know that all of the simple looking people in the world will soon turn into a beautiful butterfly when the proper time comes or maybe a rose just wanting a little sunlight or attention to bloom.

The wife of bath’s tale had a really huge impact on me as a male. I now am sensitive about my mother’s or my female classmate’s feelings because, women have to be valued as much as they value men.  They are to be treated with kindness and respect. To judge is also an unfavorable attitude, we can never judge God’s creations and neither can they judge me.

My Not so super HERO

A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.
Christopher Reeve

A hero doesn't have to be all buff like Superman. He doesn't need to have a cape like Batman. He doesn't need sharp claws like Wolverine. Nor does he need webs to cling on like Spiderman. A hero is someone who is willing to give up all he has and face any problem and predicament head on. Just like how superheroes face villains in movies and comics. 

And that non-super-powered HERO I'm talking about is my father. He may not be the perfect father but, he finds a way to support our needs and still finds a reason to smile. Yes, he may be a little rough around the edges but, he loves his family as much as he loves his self.

One time my family needed financial support and as a contractor, a job for him barely comes once a month so he sought the opportunity to go to Davao and worked for the Coke Company for almost two months. It was difficult both for my dad and my mom. I admire him because, even though it means being distant from his family he will still work just to support us and earn money for our needs. Also he sends the small salary he earns every week to us, not saving even a single cent for him.

My father always finds a way for the sake of our education, even if it means borrowing money from our close relatives, that’s how my brother graduated and became a licensed architect. Through dad’s endurance and industriousness, both my brother and sister graduated college and now both of them are also working very hard to return the favor to my parents.

It makes me emotional sometimes seeing my parents fighting over money. I mean, if I had a job then I can support myself and not be a nuisance to them. I get mad at my dad for several reasons but, I forgive my dad for picking me up late for school, scolding me for no reason, giving me spankings when I was 4, watching the news while I’m watching cartoons, cooking vegetables when I’m in the mood for chicken, not celebrating a birthday party for me, making me buy errands while I’m doing assignments, turning the volume down when I’m listening to the radio, and a whole lot more. But I want to him to forgive me also for going to the mall with my friends when I told him to pick me up at school, going home late at night, for beating up smaller kids when I was 4, not listening to him when he tells me that chicken is unhealthy, wanting a pool party which we can never afford, buying the wrong errands for him, listening to loud music when he’s asleep. I can never replace such a worthy father. He still loves me even if I’ve made several mistakes.

Every kid, every human has heroes of their own, fiction or non-fiction. They may all have different levels of physical prowess but the one thing Superman, Batman, Wolverine, Spiderman and my Dad have in common is that, they’re prepared to sacrifice for the ones they are protecting, may it be the people of the city or his family.