One of those moments
Yesterday I went to my health club for a massage, and I got there a bit early to shower and take a sauna. In the steam room, I started up a conversation with a woman who, it turned out, was a career counselor with whom I shared a lot of the same interests, professional and intellectual. We agreed to get together in a more formal and less humid venue sometime. I told her my name and “Miss Conduct” and how to reach me through the Globe, and as I always do after finishing up a friendly and interesting schmooze, automatically stuck out my hand and shook hers.
Now, I am not going to go into the lurid details of my past, but I am a twice-married woman, and suffice to say I have done many things with naked people, but I do not think I have ever shaken the hand of one. It was surprisingly discombobulating.
Although, it occurs to me now, if it struck the other woman as strange at all, it probably seemed much more strange to her. Your first naked handshake with a stranger is one thing; your first naked handshake with a stranger who is an etiquette columnist is probably another thing entirely.
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4 Responses to “One of those moments”
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MC, you should try swimming. It’s so much fun when you meet people from your class outside the pool and exclaim, “I almost didn’t recognize you with clothes on!”
I used to have unselfconscious conversations with a female grad school professor when we were both naked and toweling off in the locker room after getting in our laps.
Admittedly, this is a very different sort of thing with complete strangers.
“I didn’t recognize you with cloths on” is a classic comment among my Ren Faire friends, because we are used to seeing each other in historical garb.
I’m sorry but that struck me so funny I just laughed out loud! I’d love to hear how she relayed the experience to other people!
I mean what were you going to do, hug?