Au Cochonnet Marin

A few years ago, greeting hugs became fashionable among young Anglo-Saxon men. It was a sharp departure from the traditional brisk handshake previously favored by them.

But, like “nouveaux-riches” eager to show their affluence, they didn’t seem to know that hugging is regulated by some etiquette. A hug is like a medal… or a kiss; it is special and not offered to any Tom, Dick, or Harry. It is bestowed upon unique individuals, and if you are a serial hugger, you cheapen the value of this currency.
You would not smooch with everybody, would you? So do not feel that you have to hug everybody because it seems to be fashionable

And besides, everybody is not sold on greeting hugs. Nothing is more painful to watch than the sight of an unwelcome hug. Huggies will respond to an unwanted hug with a limp body and a weak pat on the back of the hugger. But you can tell that their heart is not in it.

I was never extraordinarily fond of hugs anyway… unless it was done by a relative or by a lady intent on carnal gratification. It always reminds me of my aunt Olga who liked to smooch, but who alas had a bad case of halitosis. Besides, you don’t see the hands of the hugger and in these contentious days, it is a little iffy. He/she could easily stick a dagger in your back while swearing eternal love to you. That’s probably what happened to Julius Caesar.

Between men, I far prefer the old-fashioned, reliable handshake. You make eye contact, and you extend your hand. The action is direct, manly, and unlike the hug, you also have a solid grip on the hand that might strike you.

But this matter has become irrelevant anyway. We are now wrestling with Covid-19 and very few people would be willing to hug you, even if you looked like Paul Newman.
The virus has been with us for close to a year, and as an unwelcome guest, it is abusing its stay.

I suspect that this diabolical infective agent is a serial hugger. It sneaks up on you, and before you even know it, it embraces you a lethal hug. A dastardly way of showing affection.

When the virus will be defeated and sent packing, I wonder if men’s greeting hugs will remain as popular as it once was. Maybe it will vanish like the “baisemain” of yore and nobody will miss it. I am sure that very soon the kids will invent a new way of greeting you… Maybe a reverse hug, derrière against derrière… It would be more fun and much safer than the face-to-face squeeze.

But remember, hugs are special. They are not to be used trivially. Save them for special occasions and dispense them sparingly. Otherwise, like an inflated currency, they will lose their status and value.

Alain

A long time ago I read a book called “All quiet on the Western Front”. It is a novel that was written by German World War I veteran Erich Maria Remarque. The story was published in 1928 and it sold millions of copies. Several movies were also made about it, notably, the 1979 television version starring Richard Thomas, Ernest Borgnine, and Donald Pleasance…

The novel is to some degree an anti-war book that was later banned by Hitler and the Nazi party. It describes the misery and the horrific conditions endured by the German soldiers in the trenches during World War I… and their disillusion with the war.

The most dramatic episode of the book (and in the films) takes place during the waning days of the war. There is a lull in the fighting, and all is quiet on the Western Front.

Paul (the hero of the story) spots a bird and raises his head from the trenches to have a better look. A single shot rings and Paul is killed by a sniper’s bullet in the head.

The moral of this long preamble is that even when the war seems to be over, you should not throw caution to the wind.

Several Southern states (most prominently Texas, with 29 million residents) have proclaimed that the war against the pandemic has been won and that they are allowing all business activities to resume full scale. No more masks or any other pesky restrictions for anyone.

This is utterly foolish and irresponsible because, despite some progress, the war against Covid-19 is not yet over. There is still a lot of fighting going on and it would be tragic for anybody to take a bullet in the head a few months before the war really comes to an end.

I fully understand the financial hardship suffered by the business community, but what good will the business re-opening do to anybody if they all end up dead?

I just got my 2^nd shot of the Pfizer vaccine (no side effects thank you), and even though I feel somewhat protected, it will probably be months before I ditch my facemask and start kissing any Tom, Dick, and Harry.

Why take even the slightest chance when the Allies have landed? We will soon be liberated and free to indulge in whatever we want… During the 2020 blitz, we took it on the chin for over a year, but most of us endured. A few more months of caution on the Western Front is not going to make that much difference.

Patience is a virtue. Get vaccinated, and if you want to fully enjoy life again, keep wearing a mask and lay low for a little while longer.

Alain

Don’t look, influencer is not a term that you will find in the dictionary… at least, not yet. But the word is all over the media and a lot of people (many women among them) are furiously vying for the title.

So, what the heck is an influencer? According to the Influencer MarketingHub:

“An influencer is someone who has:

the power to affect the purchasing decisions of others because of his or her authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with his or her audience.

a following in a distinct niche, with whom he or she actively engages. The size of the following depends on the size of his/her topic of the niche.”

 I am a blogger (with a pocket-size audience), who regularly writes some material for my blog, but can I call myself an influencer?

I doubt it… you need a sizable following to claim that title. But I am a pétanque fan and I like to play and write about the game. It is a discipline that is good for the body and the soul and I can testify to this. I am unfortunately burdened by Type II Diabetes and I need to watch the amount of glucose circulating in my bloodstream.

Any type of exercise is good for this affliction, and it can really be confirmed by the numbers. After 2 or 3 hours of pétanque, the level of glucose in my bloodstream drops dramatically, and the lower the numbers, the better it is. This definitely proves that besides being fun, pétanque is also highly therapeutic.

I play and write about this game. If I can “influence” you to take up this sport, then you might (if you are generous) call me a “mini-influencer”.

I write a lot about pétanque, but I am what you might call a “touche-a-tout” (a jack of all trades) who relates what I see or feel about certain events.

I do not write to “influence” anybody. I write to express personal opinions without any intention of swaying any group.

Writing is a pleasant and useful pastime. Because besides keeping the body fit, you also need to keep your mind on par. The little neurons pulsating in your brain need as much exercise as your pet, and if you neglect them, they will get flabby…and so will your mind.

Especially during an election year, I also dabble in politics. I am not an expert but I know which politico I like and which one I despise. And I get mad at some people for being so partial and so blind to the blatant flaws and lies of their champion.

Because of this, you might also call me a nanoscopic influencer… or if you are less charitable, a s**t disturber.

Alain