At church a few weeks ago I was feeling uncomfortable after shaking the greeter's hand, realizing that he had just shook two hundred hands before mine.

Then there is the "sign of peace" where all those around you want to shake your hand....

Germs! Bacteria! Viruses!

With the cold season and potentially heavy flu season coming up, there must be some healthier alternatives. How about the "air handshake"? Or the "air fistbump"? Or the knowing "smile/wink/nod hello"?

Churchgoers! Meeting-goers! Pass this message along to your pastors, ministers, priests to stop this germy practice so the citizens of Petaluma can stay healthy.

For more information, Google "Is the handshake losing popularity?"

Any thoughts???

I could not agree with you more JEH. It would be great to adopt the bow or simple lowering of the head such as in the Asian cultures (or as my daughters call it, a curtsy). At a minimum, the fist bump would be a huge improvement.

I was at a church service in San Francisco several months ago and the priest asked that we not shake hands during the sign of peace to not spread any nasty germs.... I appreciated this and it didn't detract from the service....

The Petaluma City School District sent home a flyer on the Swine Flu... hand sanitizers all around!!

Yes, hand sanitizer instead of holy water!

A couple more unique germ-free greetings:

The "elbow to the side slightly rotating queen's wave"

The "two-fingered chest tap followed with the immediate two-fingered point at the other person"

The "two-fingered heart tap followed by the V-peace sign"

LOL

I think handshaking is barbaric, but I'm also constantly grossed out by people sucking their fingers. Everyone does it and it's disgusting. Whether they're cleaning food from them or wetting them to flip a page, like animals, people constantly have their fingers in their mouths.

It's no wonder the pig flu is spreading so quickly.

Ha ha, pretty soon they will be selling little plastic body suits for folks. FYI the people with the least exposure to germs have the weakest immune systems. Also, fecal matter is floating in the air and it is in the water...aahhhhhhhhh! Just got to get used to the body folks and all the organisms that live in and on it. There are tons of animals living in your tummy right now!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by DaveG:
I think handshaking is barbaric, but I'm also constantly grossed out by people sucking their fingers. Everyone does it and it's disgusting. Whether they're cleaning food from them or wetting them to flip a page, like animals, people constantly have their fingers in their mouths.

It's no wonder the pig flu is spreading so quickly.

Well GLORY HALLELUJEH!

This was in the 9/17 Argus in the Pulse of Petaluma:

>>>Just heard at St. James mass today that the bishop has sent each parish suggestions to follow during this flu season. No more shaking hands at the entrance of church, no more wine from the goblet and no more holy water in fonts at each doorway<<<