i was thinking about the last post some more today and i thought of something else. a lot of this stuff we take for granted... i mean, where did shaking hands come from anyway? (im not looking for actual explanations here) or kissing or hugging or flipping the bird or a pat on the back (or the butt) or waving or smiling or laughing or crying or clapping...? all of those are wierd once you look at it from an outside standpoint but clapping and smiling are the freaky ones to me. really, for once look at people. clapping: its slapping our hands together to make a loud sound that we take to mean praise. doesnt that sound a little off to you? look at the people, im serious. we laugh at seals and walruses when they clap but looking at people doing it gives me the same picture. smiling, well we really are the oddballs here. think of it. people baring their teeth to show they're what, angry? no, they're happy. the rest of the animal kingdom bares their teeth to fight or to show anger but we expose our enamel because we're happy... seriously, what shows happiness more than the organs we grind our food with? these gestures may mean a lot but once you really look at it like you've never seen it before, it really looks stupid... well sort of. i dont doubt the meaning and expression behind these nor condone the people who practice this everyday because thats society, society claps so i clap, if society smiles then i will too. however stupid it is.
on top of all this i would like to propose a new greeting. whats the one thing that everyone loves? no matter what race, religion, gender, species... right, everyone loves a good back scratch. if everyone loves it that much, why isnt it done more often? if you're really friends with someone you practically owe it to them. a smile may look good (or odd) and a hug will make you feel... them, but what makes you feel better than a back scratch? its almost the only practical greeting i can think of. walk up to someone and scratch them on the back... BAM!! instant friend. you see what i mean. back scratching doesnt look funny (well it wont in the future hahaha...) and people really love it when it happens. so next time you see someone you love, show them you care, not with a hug or a kiss, but with what they really secretly want... a nice back scratch.