3. I miss handshakes – Lou Schuler
If not for COVID-19, I would be
flying home right now, following a long, invigorating weekend as emcee of the Fitness Summit in Kansas City.
I attended my first Summit in 2004, and almost immediately it became the most important event on my calendar. I can’t count the number of future colleagues, coauthors, contacts, and compatriots I met there, including Jonathan Goodman in 2012.
Each relationship, every connection, began the same way: with a handshake.
Even if I forget the person’s name a moment later (and I probably will), the good intentions of that initial contact remain.
The handshake may be the most important form of nonverbal communication we have. It signals openness or reticence; trust or fear; confidence or wariness.
And in the fitness industry, a strong grip with a callused hand offers proof of time in the weight room. It’s the ultimate flex. Â
Next year at this time, unless something goes disastrously wrong, we’ll return to
our favorite conferences and seminars, where we’ll catch up with acquaintances and make new ones.
But how will we greet each other? Public health experts will tell us not to shake hands, and we’ll probably comply.
It’s the right thing to do, but it’s also a loss. I miss handshakes already. Â
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