Denny needed a second chance. He had just embarrassed himself in front of the entire country club by offering Tim Hopkins, the club’s president, a limp handshake. It was an important moment. Denny had been admitted to the club on a trial basis. Every move was being judged and a final decision would be handed down at the end of the month. This had been his first-time meeting Mr. Hopkins, and a good impression was supposed to be his ticket in.
If he stuck around too long, he’d draw more unwanted attention. Maybe if he left now everyone would forget about his humiliating faux pas. Denny hastily went over and told the caddie to postpone his tee time and walked quickly back to his car.
Back inside his 2014 Dodge Charger there was a moment to reflect. Locking eyes with himself in the mirror, the emasculated country club hopeful began to bargain. Sure, he had failed to give Mr. Hopkins a firm handshake, a mistake that Denny’s father had described as “Akin to having your diaper exposed when reaching to the top shelf” but his father had also said “If at first you don’t succeed, try again”. What he needed was a second chance.
With this realization he got out of his car and started back into the club. A helpful host told him that Mr. Hopkins was in the locker room getting ready for a game. A tee time had opened up unexpectedly.
Denny pushed his way into the locker room, approached the club’s president, stuck out his hand, and said “Sir, I’d like a do-over”.
Hopkins, completely nude, was understandably perturbed.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“It’s very nice to meet you and I’d like to shake your hand”
“We already shook hands”
Now desperate, Denny knew he had one last chance to assert himself. He resorted to a juvenile threat.
“I’m not going to leave until you shake my hand”
The club’s president, confused and desperate to end the interaction, conceded. What ensued was handshake perfection. Arms perpendicular to the ground, thumbs fully locked behind the index fingers, and the perfect amount of firmness. Soft enough to not cause pain, but hard enough that both participants knew the other one could. For that brief moment, Denny and Mr. Hopkins were in perfect sync. Their physical touch, the physical manifestation of mutual respect.
With a quick nod, Denny left the room victorious. With his quick thinking and intuition, he had worked a much needed second chance and confidently asserted himself as a club-worthy applicant. With any luck, Mr. Hopkins would spread word of what he had done, and with his help, become reingratiated to the fellow members. He returned home feeling proud of how quickly he had turned around a potentially disastrous situation.