Creekbank Stories Curt Iles, Storyteller
Thoughts on a Manly Handshake
In a series of upcoming blogs, we’ll discuss the unique greetings found in our Southern culture.
We’ll explore handshakes, nods, hugs, tips, winks, and a whole host of unspoken greetings we use here in the Louisiana Pineywoods.*
Let’s delve into the cultural significance of the manly handshake, a unique aspect of our Louisiana Pineywoods region.
Sometimes it’s called a manshake.
A man-shake is firm instead of its opposite number, the dead fish/damp washrag handshake.
Men in our area are judged by their handshake. It can make or break a deal.
You don’t have to be a CrossFit member to give a firm handshake. Every boy and man can, and should, learn the art of the handshake. It’s a learned habit.
It is the job of the older men in our culture, hopefully the father, to model and teach the manshake.
We’re eager to hear your thoughts on the importance of a firm handshake. Your stories and experiences will enrich our discussion on Southern greetings.
Gripping,
SCI
Curt Iles
*The Louisiana Pineywoods are “the pine-forested area between the Calcasieu and Sabine Rivers.”
Once the location of western Louisiana’s vast virgin longleaf forest, it is now covered in various pine species for commercial use.
