pet peeve

one of many, i'm sure.

woman who do not know how to properly shake hands.

i have been meeting a lot of new women around here lately. all of the new temp designers in the last few weeks have been women. i have been doing a lot of hand shaking. and one thing stands out more than anything else: women do NOT know how to shake hands.

i'm sure you're perfectly nice. you may even be professional. but what i'm getting from your limp-wristed, ice-cold hand shake is that you think yourself, at best, a delicate flower, at the least, a weak-willed woman with no self-esteem, too ashamed to grab a hand a properly shake it. it makes me want to slap you.

get in there, for Christ's sake! hold it out to the side, firmly press your palm to mine and squeeze it like you mean it. i don't want to squeeze the tips of your fingers. i want to shake your hand, not kiss it. unless you went to finishing school, shake hands like a man, not a Victorian lady who may get the vapors if you actually touch another human being.

if you are a woman with a firm hand shake, it gives me the benefit of the doubt that you actually know what you're doing.