Every time I head out with French, especially in Eastern Ontario, we seem to meet someone he knows. This happens anywhere between Ottawa and Kingston, and sometimes further afield. I know a great many of these people, but there are always more. I was trying to break this down today as I drove into work.
For one thing French calls all of these people "brother", and he gives them a long hearty handshake. I feel he gets this from his years of hanging out in wrestling locker rooms. This traditional greeting has gone a long way. He also carries around a pack of smokes, and he'll always offer one up if the "brother" is a smoker. Most often he'll also offer to buy them a coffee, or a pint. French also seems to get them talking, and then do a lot of listening.
If he meets a woman that he knows he'll greet them with three kisses on their cheeks. He'll laugh and say "I'm not Dutch, but I love their greeting". Once we met a pretty woman, and French was slow to offer his usual salutation; she chastised him, as she offered her cheek: "where are my kisses?"
French sure knows how to anchor friendships, and build community - Brother.
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