Published on 12, July, 2020
Does anyone else struggle sometimes to do ‘appropriate’ greetings? You know, as the social skills textbook instructs, especially when hugely distracted by something else? Usually I can manage it, but this morning I may have managed to diversify!
I happened to need to pop to the Scout shop this morning to buy some badges for my Beavers. After I got out of my car I realised that there was what looked like a dead hedgehog by the side of the car park. So I had to stop for a few minutes to investigate whether a) it was actually a hedgehog, and b) it was actually dead. So after establishing those facts, I walked into the shop and rather than doing the textbook greeting, I just said “there’s a dead hedgehog in the car park!” Luckily they were fine with it, they even asked what group scarf it was wearing BUT this really isn’t the appropriate way for me to greet people who I haven’t seen for a few months!!
I honestly think much to the way I greet people hello, hi, how you doing - answer not to bad, never to be answered honestly It did actually take me some time to learning that one, I must say though saying goodbye feels odd so I just say see you tomorrow or see you again or ta-ra. Its the hand shake that confuses me do men and women shake hands if so is there a difference other than the firm grip?
I don't tend to do handshakes unless the other person initiates it. I think how firm a hand shake you do is a personal thing, I would do a reasonably light handshake regardless of who it was with.
:-) I guess that 'novel' greetings such as these are slightly more relaxed and a break from the norm.
When I was a younger man I used to enjoy the random greeting I would get or give among my friends and acquaintances, where I grew up we had a milk man who would shout how do chicken when we would pass him on the way to school. I even had a friend who for the best part of a year would greet well anyone he met with how the devil a strange abbreviation of how the devil are you which always made me chuckle.