Holding hands in public means sappy. An arm slung casually through the anchored elbow of your man seems infinitely preferable (and allows for the adorable head on shoulder move).
Even worse: the pinky grip. Usually in mid age couples, the Pinky Grip epitomizes the ultimate in grotesque physical contact. To elaborate seems pointless. Do not do it, it is disgusting.
In children, holding hands stacks right up there with kissing. Cooties! In summer camp and day care, we were forced to hold hands while walking (pair up!) on field trips (buddy system) and in many playground games and classroom activities. Heaven forbid we did not partner with our best girlfriend. Holding hands with boys was uncomfortable, scary, and definitely exciting. Children are in tuned to the primal connection of touching another person’s hand in a way that adults are too jaded to understand anymore.
The basic sexual nature of touching hands has been lost in the general acceptance of hand holding as respectable and polite in public society. But when really thought about, the fingertips are one of the most sensitive parts on the human body. People who have moved hand holding into the privacy of their own homes know what I mean. Not hand holding as in watching- a-movie-in-our-snuggies hand holding, but hand holding as in hands intertwined over our heads in bed hand holding. Anyone who has done this knows that you do not do it unless it’s with someone you really care about. It means something, to physically connect with someone from your fingertips all the way down.
Society has made holding hands an acceptable form of public affection, to the point of making it meaningless. Holding hands while walking doesn’t create sexual tension, it does not display closeness, it acts merely to show the rest of the street that you are a couple. I am holding his hand, so you cannot. In forcing it to be a status symbol, and not an actual physical connection, many people miss out on the delightful experiences private hand holding can give, both emotional and physical.
Kaitlyn Evans
Buffalo, N.Y.
No comments:
Post a Comment