“Witnessing this interaction always makes me feel like I am a tourist in a country where I do not know the customs and cannot speak the language.”

Haven’t elders felt this way about “youth culture” for a very long time? 

This hugging thing is interesting.  Sort of an adaption, consciously or unconsciously, of the practices of certain non-American cultures, such as those of Eastern Europe (apparently without the side-to-side cheek kisses, however).

Hmm.  Here in Texas, I’ve noticed teen guys may be more comfortable with friendly affection than previous generations, but I haven’t noticed all this hugging, at least not yet.

Yuck!  Stay out of my space.

In Brazil, it’s a kiss on each cheek for guy/girl or girl/girl.  I kinda liked that, myself.

3. Pageantmaster,

Oh dear! You seem to have abandoned your normal proper English reserve as a result of the mere consideration of your normal proper English reserve being ‘invaded,’ as it were. But never mind that, I think I tend to agree with you, probably because of the absence of intermediate gestures for those with whom I don’t feel well enough acquainted to exchange hugs. Would you recommend that I avoid travel to France, and its possessions?

Pax et bonum,
Keith Töpfer

I was thinking about how many of these kids probably come from broken, or one-parent, homes, or have overworking, largely absent, parents. Maybe they are craving some simple, affectionate, physical contact? When you feel emotionally adrift, that craving can become a sort of hunger at times.

What’s this (above) about English reserve?  I have noticed here in Britain that the hug is becoming more and more common, certainly the cheek to cheek thing has been common among middle aged middle class people for a long time.  And the hug preceded by that distinctive hand clasp is near universal among young black men.  We had some correspondence about this some years ago in the august columns of The [London] Times when people wrote in about the spreading phenomenon of complete strangers kissing and someone wrote in to quote Erasmus from the 16th century who had written about how the English kissed on meeting and kissed again on parting.  Clearly Erasmus found it all a bit over the top.

7. Terry Tee,

Perhaps it was contagious and the English caught it from Erasmus. Although I am pretty confident that Pageantmaaster wasn’t around in those days. {winkie}

Pax et bonum,
Keith Töpfer

Pagentmaster expresses my wife’s views, too.  She will go out of her way at church to sneak out the side door to avoid being hugged by every priest in the greeting line.

By the way, someone needs to send the principals and school board members copies of LeoBuscaglia’s books and videos. < >