The Gesture

Categories
Lifestyle

It was a year ago - March 11, 2020 - and the New York Health and Longevity Group met at Club Quarters on 45th Street.

There was caution in the air. No masks but no handshakes. Little did we know that it would be the last in-person meeting. Broadway would show its last shows that evening. The lockdown was hours away.

As we greeted each other at the meeting, I grasped my hands in front of me - my hands shaking each other. A gesture of greeting and farewell. In lieu of a handshake.

Now, a year later, being vaccinated, I can hug my grandchildren. But I’m not sure about the handshake. Will it return? My hands grasped together in a gesture of hello and goodbye will be the future for a while.

Comments

Carly Bentley

Right? The origin of the handshake are from the cowboy days--showing that the person had no weapons. Not sure what will happen from here. I feel like friends will hug and strangers will keep their hands to themselves.
Fred Klein

The handshake may go the way of the buggy whip...
Norman Spizz

The only handshaking that will remain are the waiters at Katz's Delicatessen
Victoria Drogin

I would like to think that we will return to shaking hands. We survived for centuries touching one another. I hope in time, we will again. Before the pandemic, since I worked in schools, I was ridiculously vigilant about handwashing, sanitizing, etc. during flu season. Roughly December through March. I touched people, I shook hands, and I didn’t get sick. Hopefully sanity and normalcy will, over time, return.
Shelley Simpson

I don’t miss either the hug/air kiss or hand shake with people I don’t know well. It will be nice to be able to get together without them as a compulsory part of socializing.
Daniel Schwartz

No need for the handshake. I agree to say goodbye to it. Nothing worse than shaking someone's sweaty hand and not being able to clean it soon after.
Flo Feinberg

I don’t see the handshake returning any time soon...and that’s ok; but hugs????

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