Shake My Wife’s Hand

I cannot stand it when people do not treat my wife with the respect that she deserves. Recently, my wife and I experienced this firsthand when men shook my hand and did not reach out to shake her hand. In both cases, she extended her hand, yet the other person did not return the gesture.

In the first case, the person was leaving a business meeting with my wife and me. He said goodbye to me, shook my hand, turned around, and proceeded to go. My wife was standing right beside me. We looked at each other in astonishment. She took the initiative and said goodbye. The person turned around and said goodbye to her. She extended her hand, and the person did not acknowledge the gesture. Every day is an interview, and this person failed.

A week later, a technician came to our house to do a routine checkup on some mechanical equipment. I greeted him at the door and shook his hand. My wife came to the door and greeted the technician. The technician did not shake my wife’s hand. To his credit, though, he did speak with both of us and gave both of us eye contact. I will give him a pass for now. He is scheduled to check out the systems in 6 months. We will see what happens then.

In reality, how hard is it to say hello to everyone in the room? When you go to a party, do you only speak to the person who opens the door, or do you greet everyone you see? Which person do you want to be?

If my wife and I are ever fortunate enough to meet you, please shake both of our hands. My wife deserves the same respect, if not more.

Just Be Better

Stay Strong, Stay Healthy.