HOLDING HANDS by Tony Fernandes
My wife often says to me at the Malls: “Look, that couple there, see how lovingly they are holding hands and walking along”. And then I am prompted to retort: “As if I love you any less if I don’t do what they do. You know I love you nevertheless, don’t you?”
As we walk further down through the mall we see more couples holding hands as they leisurely pace along the aisles.
Now, that is precisely the situation that prompts or suggests in my own few personal notions about this trait of holding hands through normal human behaviour.
Though holding hands is not new, it is definitely an expression of love as old as time and love itself.
Looking on the humourous side here are a few of my own observations why people, married couples, or just lovers, hold hands in public places and especially in the Malls.
· They are afraid of losing their partner – literally.
· There’s a mad rush.
· Huge crowds everywhere.
· The aisles are packed.
· They could be feeling insecure.
· They just got back from a recent spat.
· They first met at the Mall.
· Today is their first meet’s first anniversary.
· Re-living the moments of the first date.
· It’s their 20th wedding anniversary.
· It’s better than paying alimony.
· They just can’t keep their hands to themselves.
· They staunchly believe that united they stand;
divided – and if they let go, they might fall.
· He is definitely not her husband, or she is not his wife.
· One of them must be very rich.
· She must be after his money.
· He’s about to include her in his will.
· She has discovered a secret locker of his diamonds.
· They could be both big public show-offs.
· They are trying to make us feel jealous.
· They just got married.
· Who knows? They may have just met a while ago.
· It’s just a force of habit – and old habits die hard.
· It’s their first date.
· They just got back from the beer garden.
· They recently re-married (a la Liz Taylor/Richard Burton style).
· They discovered that love can be re-kindled.
· One of them wants to know the other’s secret.
· She’s using her hand today instead of a leash.
So, having given a few reasons that are, in my mind, positive, I look forward to better days ahead. We are of course still young, 37 years married, and in the rat-race of today’s world we haven’t found the time to hold hands seriously often enough. Perhaps we will do so in the distant future or whenever we visit the Mall. Holding hands, then, will just come to us. Naturally. It’s difficult to do that otherwise!