Fox News has a report out quoting Dr. Anthony Fauci, who said, “I don’t think we should ever shake hands ever again, to be honest with you.’”

So, Dr. Anthony Fauci doesn’t want to shake hands ever again, but Dr. Anthony Temple does — that’s me — and I’m looking forward to shaking the hand of everyone who is willing to do so. I have been shaking hands with people over the course of some eight different decades, and I have no evidence of ever contracting a serious illness from someone else by doing so.

Of course, I haven’t had a lot of serious illness so it would be hard to generalize from my experience alone. But, I have had tens of thousands of pleasant encounters with people, made more pleasant by a warm handshake and greeting. I, for one, am not willing to give that up. I’m not a “hugger” and usually feel uncomfortable with that type of greeting. I, also, feel very uncomfortable standing stiffly apart and away from friends and new acquaintances making no contact.

The handshake is a “just right,” wonderful way to reach out to old or new friends, to express through this simple contact interest, concern and evidence of a mutuality between two people, and to confirm our feelings through a simple grip of the hands.

Of course, it is important that we sustain the pattern of regular, thorough hand washing. That when we are sick and potentially contagious, we stay at home. Yet, when this pandemic has passed, let’s not give up that wonderful expression of interpersonal greeting, the friendly handshake.

Anthony Temple

St. George