The "Pass Along The COVID-19 With A Kiss and A Handshake" Story

It ws an ordinary day.  I had just walked back into the house after meeting with a fellow who is going to trim some of the bushes around the house when my wife asked me, "You didn't shake hands with that guy, did you?"  I replied, "No, I stuck my hand out and he just stuck his elbow in my direction."  Seems that is going to be the norm for quite some time in order to avoid contact with one another and chance passing the Coronavirus from one person to another.  What has been a greeting since the 14th century, when knights and soldiers would extend their unclenched right hands toward each other in greeting to show that they were carrying no weapons, might be a thing of the past.  Could be that the weapon of today may be the unclenched right hand thrust toward you in greeting.  If that may be the case, how do you greet the person with the outstretched hand?  As stated before, I was that person today when I greeted the fellow who had just closed his truck door.  Luckily I realized what he was doing and changed my handshake into an elbow-bump.  I recently received an envelope from my friend Sue who lives in State College.  When I opened the envelope, inside was a folded piece of newsprint.  It was a page from The Centre County Gazette newspaper which she receives at her house.  The page she sent to me was the "Opinion" or Editorial page.  A small note that accompanied her submission to me said: Maybe some ideas for your blog!  Funny how what happened to me today was exactly what was one of the stories she had placed a star next to.  It was an editorial from The Los Angeles Times.  I had placed the paper on my desk and after coming back in from my talk with the fellow who will do my tree trimming, walked into my office and saw the folded paper.  Opened it and saw the star next to the headline which read "Will the coronavirus kill the handshake?"  But, would we really miss the handshake had it not been taught to us years ago as the proper way to greet one another.  The story told that the ritual was often fraught with judgment and calculation.  Too firm? To limp? How about a hug or a nod?  On March 2nd U.S. Surgeon Gen. Jerome Adams demonstrated the elbow bump to the world for the first time as a less viral way to pass along friendly greetings.  But, the handshake is not the only greeting that may contribute to the spread of disease.  The French cheek-kiss certainly can't be good in today's climate either.  So, what else should we do to greet one another?  How about the peace sign that I grew up with in the 1960s.  Don't like that?  Then, how about jazz hands, up and wiggling?  Don't like that either.  How about blowing a kiss as a greeting?  Nah, someone will misread that as something more than perhaps you may want it to be.  How about a friendly smile or nod?  I think people will get the idea that you mean well with just a smile, and it will keep us all safe from what is going on the the world right now.  But, I just know that when I see my next friend, my hand will go out in front of me as it has all my life.  Bad habits are tough to break...as they say!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - Thanks, Sue.