Local view: What a medieval suit of armor says about how we present ourselves today
We all wear armor, yes we do. Sometimes we wear a full suit, sometimes just a small breastplate. A recent trip to the Worcester Art Museum made me think about armor in a broader way.
The museum was gifted with the vast armor collection from the Higgins Armory when it closed, and as I looked at the armor displayed in the medieval gallery, I thought about armor that we all wear, the protective shields we put on according to the needs of the situation. I thought about armor that is good and important to use. Also, I thought about armor that can't be seen and can be stressful to wear.
Protective armor vs emotional armor
If it's cold, we put on a coat, hat, and gloves. If we're outside in the sun, we put on a wide-brimmed hat and sunscreen. If we are working with paint, we put on rubber gloves. If we ride on a motorcycle we put on leather clothing and a helmet. If we play hockey, we put on a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads. If we are hunters, we put on blaze-orange clothing. If we go hiking, we put on good sneakers or hiking boots. During COVID, we all put on the same shields of armor for protection — face masks.
We can see all of those pieces of armor, and all of them are beneficial. However we all have times when we put on armor that is invisible, armor that we wear and can feel, but no one can see it. We wear that armor when we feel we need to be cautious about revealing our true selves. And, unfortunately there are many circumstances when we feel we have to put it on.
We put on that invisible cloak of armor when we think we have to act a certain way to impress people, to try to make them like us or to try to avoid conflict. We have to be careful about what we do or say — dress a certain way for approval, or say things we think someone wants to hear rather than being truthful about what we think. We have to be protective of the thoughts and actions we express.
We can take off that protective armor when we are with someone we are very close to, maybe a spouse or a devoted friend. We can just relax and be ourselves. We don't have to be careful about expressing ourselves in any way, no armor is needed even when talking about differing political or religious beliefs. We may have a strong debate about a subject but we respect each other's rights to their opinions and the discussion doesn't hurt the relationship.
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Armor is uncomfortable, whether it's worn by a knight or by us, and the kind we hide is the most uncomfortable kind. We wouldn't need that invisible armor if we all thought and acted the same way, but sameness would surely make a very boring world. I like the quote, "Variety is the spice of life." And, that's what we are — variety. We're all different, and we need to respect those differences.
Everyone has something good to offer, and everyone is entitled to their own thoughts. Everyone deserves to be heard and everyone deserves respect. And, when we learn to respect each other, we'll be able to shed our invisible armor and safely just be ourselves. Respect.
Isn't it amazing the thoughts that a museum's suit of armor can create?
Carole Gariepy is a Phillipston resident and author of “Dragging Gerry around the World” and “Why Go There?”
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Protective armor is more than a knight suit: face masks, helmets boots
