Column: Let’s take a break from besitos and hugs

Last week, I was introduced to someone. Sin querer queriendo, we shook hands.

For a second, things were awkward.

It wouldn’t have been rude to not shake hands, with all the warnings about social distancing we are supposed to practice these days. A simple “que onda” nod would have been OK, paired with a “nice meeting you.”

Or would that have been rude?

For a lot of us, shaking hands is a force of habit because it’s a show of respect. It seems wrong not to extend a hand or to accept a handshake, especially if we’re meeting someone we’re about to work with or who is going to work for us in some way.

There are lots of instances in which we come in contact with people throughout the day in which avoiding contact might seem rude, such as when we pay cashiers or when we’re handed packages or items from behind a counter.

Still, that’s nothing compared to the contact we have with those we know. Think of el abrazote we give our friends and family when we see them. Some of us greet those we love con un besito. It almost seems disrespectful avoiding the little peck on the cheek. It’s just what we do.

Americans are being told to avoid crowds, but there are some of us who can’t really avoid crowds because just being around family is being in a crowd. We like these little crowds, too. We don’t want to avoid them. We look forward to them. And we don’t need a special occasion. We get together just because it’s Saturday.

Our small crowds are what keep us going. Someone watches someone’s kids, someone takes someone else to the doctor, someone helps el otro with the yard, and so on. Never mind canceling Fiesta, we don’t even want to cancel Sunday morning at Welo’s house, especially if there’s going to be menudo.

But while some of us insist on hugs, others among us are going to want to keep their distance, at least for a little while. We should let each other off the hook for not going in for the big abrazo; an air kiss y un abrazo de lejitos is just going to have to be good enough for a while. The same goes for the hand shake.

If a hand isn’t extended or a hug isn’t offered, no es por ser grueso. It’s just the sign of the times. Understanding this goes a long way.