Handshake

Do you remember when a man used to take pride in his handshake?

A handshake used to mean a lot more to a man. It was a sign of strength, a sign of goodness. If a man had a good, firm handshake – then he could be trusted. He wasn’t hiding anything. You could tell. You could just tell what kind of man he was.

And men wanted to have a good handshake, as well. They wanted their handshake to be good and strong and an extension of themselves. Their handshake was as good as their word. Do you remember the time when a deal used to be sealed with only a handshake? That handshake was that man’s word. Essentially, the handshake was the man.

That was a man of old. A man whose handshake was as honest and good as the earth beneath him. A man who prided himself in his handshake and who expected the same in return from you. For some men, a handshake was all that they had to give. They did not have anything else. For others, a handshake was the only way they knew to communicate. For most men, a handshake was all they needed.

Can you picture that man of old? Can you picture that? A strong man with a firm handshake who proudly shakes the hand of other good men. Real men meeting each other with an honest and true handshake that connects and builds up each man. Can you see it in your mind? Can you feel it in your heart? Don’t you just yearn for the simple goodness of a strong handshake between true men? It seems like we have lost that today.

Never underestimate the power of a firm handshake between two good men. Young men, this is where we need to be. This is where we need to go. This is who we need to be. Are you with me?

Let’s shake on that. Let’s learn to shake on that.