Here it is almost 3 O’dark in the morning and I am still awake.

“Why?” you may ask.

“I am thinking,” I say.

One of my friends says I think too much. I think she is right, because right now thinking is keeping me awake.

I am thinking about the recent story I read about handshaking. And it suggested that not shaking hands as part of our social ritual would be sad.

I don’t think so. I think we should eliminate handshaking as part of our greeting or parting rites all together. Besides passing germs, it can be painful when someone squeezes too hard or icky when someone doesn’t grasp firmly enough. Or holds on too long — eewwww.

So in lieu of shaking hands how should we greet each other? I like the idea of a bow. Rather as they do in Asian countries like Japan. It is simple and respectful. Think of it as the ultimate gesture of respect.

You respect the person enough to not give them your germs and the germs of your kids who happen to have nasty colds even though you yourself are not showing any symptoms yet.

Historically women didn’t always shake hands.

This is a fairly recent social development as women wanted to be seen as the equal to men in the workplace. A good thing at the time.

But handshaking is not a worldwide custom.

In some countries, even men greet each other with a kiss on the cheek. (But oh my, think how many germs THAT would spread.) And frankly, I doubt that would catch on here in the High Desert of California.

Realistically, there are simply too many of us folks in the world for kissing and handshaking at every social occasion. Even though we need germs to develop a mature immune system, we can do without a few here and there. Like the ones that cause avian flu and other viral nasties.

Someone suggested a return to the curtsy, perhaps. I dunno. A nice balanced curtsy is hard to pull off without falling over — especially the older one becomes. And if women were to curtsy, would men have to do that deep bow with their leg stuck out and their foot pointed? Without a hat to sweep off, it just wouldn’t have the same effect.

No — I think we should just do the little bow from the waist or even a slight nod of the head if we are feeling really royal.

Now that I have solved that little conundrum, perhaps I can go to sleep.