So What's in a handshake?

One of the great things about getting out on a regular basis is meeting new people. My inner "Mad" scientist really loves to watch people interact and to get to interact with other people.

I enjoy the things I see and I think my favorite thing to see is hugs. I like the warmth and caring that putting your arms around someone shows. I like to meet people that hug rather than hand shake. I will always offer my hand to shake, but really like it when someone makes a face at my hand and opens their arms.

I am a super affectionate person. SUPER. AFFECTIONATE. Yes! That's me. I love to hug and be hugged and I am blessed that I am always around people that are pleasant to hug.

There are times when I meet someone that I am not sure if offering a hug is appropriate. There are some that go by the rule of not shaking hands with women, but I worry sometimes about someone being creepy and just wanting to feel my chest against their body.

I guess that I may have to reconsider offering my hand in the future. Why? I shook hands with a man last night that grasped my hand so tightly, I immediately forgot his name. I feel terrible because I wanted to know what it was. The shock of having my hand squeezed as though he perceived me as a threat, removed the information from my mind before I could store it.

I found an interesting article on handshake etiquette here: Read the article from the link if you like.(http://ezinearticles.com/?Handshake-Etiquette&id=2250694)

I figured I would share here the points shared that speak to my recent experience.

***A good handshake can make or break your first impression. Here are a list of things that will help you make a great impression with your handshake.

1. Stand when you shake your hands; always make sure you stand still when you shake hands. This may seem simple and obvious, but there are people who mess this up by offering a hand while sitting down or while walking.

5. Have a firm handshake: A limp handshake always leaves a bad impression, so does a bone-crunching handshake. If you are shaking hands with a lady, you can still have a firm handshake - many ladies are offended when someone gives them a limp handshake just because they are women.

10. Always end your hand-shake with a pleasant smile and eye-contact.***


I am bad for offering a hand when I am sitting down. I think I will try to make sure, if I decide to continue to do hand shakes, that I will make sure I am standing for them. When I read the "bone-crunching" reference, I thought "That's what happened to me." There is something sort of funny about the CRUNCHING, not CRUSHING. Somehow referring to the sound exaggerates the experience to the extreme.

My hand still hurts. I still can't remember the guys name. Darn.