Aldo thrust his hand forward
eager, anticipating.
What could I do but shake it?
I didn’t have a coronary,
a brain bleed
or a meltdown
but shouldn’t we have touched
elbows instead, feet
[‘The Wuhan Shake’],
given a fist bump to each other
or even the Tibetan Tongue Greeting
though it seemed as warlike as a haka,
something a little less intimate
than a handshake?
Are we loosening up too early?
I wash my hands furiously with sanitiser
& keep 1.5 m from myself
for the rest of the day.
You can’t be too careful.
John Malone 
Definitely too soon, too forward. Not sure what you were thinking but it seems you may have caught it in time before the affection spreads.
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hopefully so; that Aldo was agrressively familiar: he took me by surprise ; but myself and I are no longer 1.5 metres apart 🙂
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a risk to be sure, but you’ve got to let somebody in, sometime. 😉
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well, things are pretty good here in South Australia; we haven’t had a local infection in months — but even so ….
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Safety third, that’s what I always say…
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Hahahaha! “…before the affection spreads.” 😀
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Handshakes are so natural when meeting someone, one forgets it’s a no no now. I’m always careful never forgetful, as I have asthma. I’m so angry they have lifted the mask mandate in my state. Even before that 45% in this red (right leaning) state people are so indifferent, think it’s a hoax, the vaccine is BS etc etc you get the picture. That 4 year old idiot who lived in the WH did so much harm and divisive division in this country. We can just slap a band aid on this, we need deep tight stitches.!
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it’s amazing; so many countries are doubling down on some measures while being quite lax over others: the virus, being a ‘smart’ virus — takes advantage of these divisions —
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Yes John, that’s what’s terrifying. I roll my eyes at “it’s no worse than the flu”.
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I don’t know where people get these crazy ideas but once they’re inside their heads, there’s no budging them 😦 meanwhile if any other handshakers come my way, I’ll offer my elbow instead 🙂
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Lol my Dr. & I did that last time I was in for a visit. (Those people have no common sense or logic in their heads). I sometimes wonder how they function day to day.
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Can’t *
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I gave my new neighbor a handshake and then jumped back as I yelled, ‘sorry.’ He said he was more worried about me than him and of course his job is a doc/professor at the university in the school of public health!
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🙂 it is so easy to slip back in our old ways especially when greeting someone new 🙂 what a twist in the tale 🙂 thanks for that lovely snippet, Beth 🙂
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Ha ha. I love this. Keeping 1.5 metres from yourself, the Wuhan Shake, the built in social politeness that you kick yourself for afterwards… It captures so well a society out of kilter with itself.
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thanks — and it all sprang from a handshake, eagerly given, carelessly received 🙂
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It’s odd how many of the little things we’ve learned to pause at.
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true; handshaking still seems to be the main culprit —
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I am a little virus
Watching you with glee
You’re getting lackadaisical
Handshaking all you see….
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just a one-off, Don: Aldo was aggressively friendly: you too would weaken 🙂
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I keep offering my hand and they keep doing these silly elbow bumps….I feel like a clown
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good on you, Don 🙂
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Ya know I think they’re getting to like these poncy elbow bumps. Shit……
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the manly handshake may never come back 😦
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Please don’t tell me that…..you’re up early for a Sunday?….yawn
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the Muse kicked me out of bed, Don and marched me to my laptop; what’s a poor boy to do?
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tap and yawn while eating your weeties……
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LOL ; that’s pretty much it; as long as I go through the motions, the Muse is happy 🙂
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Don’t spill your weeties on the keyboard….
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LOL 🙂
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Or go sleep and do head-fall on keyboard zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Shit, wake up Don. wha? wha?……
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ROFL: that is so clever;
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I need my coffee. This is getting all too much. Yawn…
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I’m thinking of letting Mrs Hobbo back inside the two metre zone, but I’ll take medical advice first!
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oh dear: is she a hand-shaker too, Hobbo?
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😂 I never allow her to get that intimate!
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I admire your stern, hygienic stance, Hobbo 🙂
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😂 It’s the only way we’ll beat this thing!
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we’re getting the jabs here down under, Hobbo; should be happening about now in the UK. I believe 🙂
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Me and Mrs H get our second jabs next week..They’ve already vaccinated half the UK population which is great!
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Your work inspired me. The Tibetan Tongue Greeting, and the poncy Wuhan shake really got me going, thanks so much
https://wordpress.com/post/thehobartchinaman.wordpress.com/4442
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glad you appreciate it : I had fun writing it; beware the zealous handshake that comes out of nowhere 🙂
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if memory serves me correct [apologies to Iron Chef] a handshake used to signify something, [but bugger it I’m too old to google why]. The W bump signifies nothing, so I ask, why do it at all. Wouldn’t a muffled mask ‘hello’ suffice? 😊
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maybe, I don’t know; very few people wear masks in this State: we’ve had no infections since god knows when; hope it stays this way 🙂
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a masterpiece of parody in anxiety
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thanks; if I get a chance I’ll show it to Aldo 🙂
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I think, try Namaste. Join you hands together and bow. 🤣🤣🤣
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actually I’m aware of that from my time in Yoga; xext time Aldo pulls that trick on me, that is how I will greet him 🙂
btw thanks Shaily for the comments; really appreciate that: they came at the right time 🙂
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Thanks John! I am usually lagging because of something at home, at work and now my back pain that appears often! How I wish I was a child again! 😁
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as we get older we all think that 🙂
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