ReEntry drama and humor post 4

I will never forget my first Sunday in England.  German had been there for a month before me, and had already begun to make connections at the little church that would be our home for the next several years. I was a little overwhelmed already, and now I was meeting these new friends for the first time.  The pastor came up to say hello, we were introduced and he promptly hugged and kissed me on both cheeks. I.was.not.prepared.for.that. And my introverted self said, "I will never get use to this."

For the first several weeks, there was this awkward dance when meeting someone. Is there a kiss, is there not a kiss? One cheek or both? It was a dance I thought I would never learn. But then, I learned it. And it became second nature.

And, now?  We are back in the States.  And I'm meeting loads of new people. There is this mantra that resounds in my ear as we meet people or greet people during that lovely time at church when they say, "Now turn to your neighbor..."  That mantra is, "Don't kiss, don't kiss, don't kiss." That ting that I was sure I would never get used to, now I miss desperately.