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In reply to the discussion: Even if you're a "touchy, feely" guy, do NOT put your hands on a woman without her permission. [View all]MineralMan
(146,345 posts)Never. They did teach us how to be polite and friendly, but left it to us when to show affection that way. I remember vividly my first girlfriend. Our first physical contact was holding hands as we walked. I asked her if I could hold her hand. She answered by taking my hand. It was wonderful. Then, one day soon after that, I said, "Can I kiss you?" She said, "Of course." I was 14 years old and she was 13. That was when I learned to ask first. I've never done otherwise, actually, ever since.
Did I miss some opportunities? No doubt. Did anyone ever say "No" when asked if a kiss was OK? Nope. Not once. Because I didn't ask unless I was pretty damned sure of the answer. "Would it be OK if I..." "Unless the answer was a clear "Yes," I never did. These days, it's something like "So, you wanna fool around." And it all started with asking a 13-year-old girl if I could hold her hand. We're still friends on Facebook, more than 50 years later, although I haven't seen her in decades. We're both long married to other people, and it's all just a fond memory.
My parents got it right, I think. So did you.