Lets Shake On It !

     Shaking Hands- This is a time honored tradition and custom which, much as the Military Salute, signifies a friendly, open hand, empty of any weapon. For centuries it remained essentially the same- Right hand grasping right hand of another, palm to palm with four fingers around the hand of the other with thumb over index finger with up and down hand movement.
     The Handshake has changed several times in recent years and has been adapted for specific cultures and groups. "Secret" handshakes have been part of history for hundreds of years as well, Fraternities,Fraternal Organizations and various clubs.
     I learned to shake hands as a very young child growing up in church, by age five "Little Herbie" [yes I was once LITTLE] would shake everyone's hand and say god bless you,it was CUTE. Next came Cub and Boy Scouts with their "Hand Clasp", High School brought DeMolay and the Masonic Ritual.The Army taught me about saluting.In the Army I had my first contact with inter-city Blacks during the turbulent 60's, their method of greeting was complicated ,"The Dap" consisted of a series of hand gestures and often took several minutes to complete, On A&E we see specials about gangs and the descriptions of thee complex 'handshakes' and identifying hand gestures.
     "Hippies" and "Bikers" share a similar "shake" starting with the clasp hand with the four fingers grasping the top of the others hand in an upward position  going down to the standard "shake" and ending with the first joints of the fingers in sort of a tug, with my "biker" brothers there is a "hug" after the "tug".
      The "high" or "low" five and "five on the fly" plus the normal position "slapping" five are variants also, even small children are deemed  "Bright" if they can learn to give FIVE>
       I have seen people socially embarrassed by not knowing the acceptable "shake" when meeting new people. I have found myself going; standard, dap, hippie/biker, Masonic, Boy Scout and the a hug trying to obtain acceptance.
       The most recent example is the "fist bump" in it's myriad of styles, I believe it started with athletes, there is the standard, the soft, the thumb/pinkie tickle and the grind, I am often startled when a fist comes toward me knowing that boxers "tap" gloves before the beat the "tar" out of each other.

I may start just socking people, hugging and kissing them and walking away !