Real Men
I’ve always thought handshakes are a weird ritual, and for men, an ironic way of greeting one another in a manly(at least in Australia) way. Holding hands isn’t deemed a tough-guy’s pastime and yet every ‘bloke’ wants to hold your hand and then lift and drop the now fused lump of flesh and bone repeatedly. On the gender neutral side of things, the handshake is said to be a formal greeting but I wouldn’t call touching each other’s hands terribly formal. Maybe bowing is the only true formal greeting after all and handshakes are a shy way of hugging each other.
If there’s someone in your life who can always be counted on to shake your hand without fail, they probably just want to hold you in their arms for a while.
I charge you with this task: Challenge this ritual of society and initiate a hug instead.
Give them a kiss, too.
