19 April is High Five Day - the ten most legendary "high-fives"
The higher the outstretched arm and hand, the better. The louder the bang when the limbs collide, the better. A high five for the high five! I'll show you what else is worth slapping the fins for here.
In 1977, when a certain Glenn Burke congratulated his team-mate Dusty Baker on his 30th home run, what is now commonplace was invented: the high five. With his left arm raised above his head, Burke high-fived Baker with his hand. To date, this is the first documentation of a high five. Actually pretty banal and boring, isn't it?
Now, enough of the story. Whether you're high-fiving your team-mates after scoring a goal or you're super excited for the holidays, the high five is (almost) always appropriate. But beware: when a certain Adolf H. tried to bring it into circulation back in the 1940s, he failed miserably. Fortunately!
The sporty and casual high five
The ball hits the net, the puck bounces off the in-goal camera - the type of sport is irrelevant as long as you hammer it into the net. The whole thing is even more awesome when it's the game-winning goal. There's no stopping you, all the dams break and your mates storm the pitch. You hold your hand up and wait for it to be over. You won't be able to use your swollen red paw for a week, but at least you'll be the hero of the team. Also for at least a week... yay. ✋🏻
The sterile high five
Burke may be the unofficial inventor of the high five, but Todd is the absolute champion of the discipline. The simple-minded doctor from the TV series "Scrubs" always finds the right moment for the perfect high five. Whether it's for a successful operation, a lowbrow sexual innuendo or as a last resort for a dying patient - the Toddster always has one hand free. But beware: too many high fives can hurt. And I seriously doubt whether your boss will turn a blind eye to tendonitis caused by excessive high-five consumption.
The high five in the mirror
For the desperate, the alone and the loners. For those of us without colleagues. For all those who are very, very proud of themselves. For egotists, the arrogant and the self-absorbed. For me and you... oops, wrong company, wrong slogan. Anyway, self-high-fives have the same consequences as writing yourself a birthday card. Or congratulating yourself on a promotion. Or even liking your own posts. He wrote and immediately gave his own article a big, fat heart.
The animal high five
Cats, so cute. Yes, of course, because I hardly know of a listicle that doesn't feature cats. Would be a shame, wouldn't it? Because the video below alone is worth the price of admission. At first I thought that the high five had only spread and established itself among us humans. But the whole thing seems to have spread further than I imagined. And if cats are involved, dogs are probably not far behind. Legends of human evolution tell of microscopic cells on the hands that now high-five themselves incessantly.
The virtual high five
If you have a mobile, tablet or PC monitor, this high five is appropriate. Just handle it with care. Because today's flat rates no longer tolerate the high fives of yesteryear so well. Those were the days when CRT screens ruled the world. These things even hit you back if you weren't fast and attentive enough. And where such a monster hits, grass no longer grows. #inyourface
The high-five fail
High fives are super casual and cool. But they can also hit you in the eye. Or in the ears. Or right in the face. Or worse. So always make sure that the other person is really ready. That he or she sees it coming. And always be alert yourself to whether the situation you're in could lead to a high five sooner or later. Solid preparation is half the battle of a successful high five.
The high five for more attention
For me, this high five belongs in the same category as the one above. At least it's very close. Because what's at least as bad as a high five that misses its target is a high five that goes unanswered. It forces you to retract your raised arm and hand with outstretched fingers and leave the field as the loser. Clever minds react as quick as an arrow and save the whole story by concealing the unrequited handshake with a self-high five. Not ideal, but just about okay.
The sneaky high five
It's almost summer, the sun is shining outside and more and more clothes are falling off or staying at home in the wardrobe. The cool water invites you to take a dip and the banks of rivers and lakes invite you to linger and relax. Every now and then, one too many items of clothing are forgotten or the dry spare clothes are overlooked. But hey, why did the Lord and Creator give us two hands? There are two correct answers. A: to protect our most exposed body parts. And B: to spiritually challenge those people to whom answer A applies.
The high six
Sometimes the world is not enough. You can ask James Bond himself. And likewise, five fingers aren't always enough to celebrate success. This is where the infamous cousin of the high five comes into play: the extremely rare high six. Created by the legendary - wait for it - Barney Stinson. Use it sparingly and with the necessary caution - because with great power comes great responsibility. Spiderman can tell you a thing or two about that. I wonder how and when evolution will react here. Will we soon grow six fingers on one hand? Or will there simply be no more cool moments in the future that call for a high six? Let the guesswork begin.
The very first high five
A magical moment. Without it, my previous comments would have been useless and pointless. (Yes, I know, I realised it too - at the same moment I wrote it). When Burke went for his very first high five just over 40 years ago, nobody could have guessed what had just happened. As it turned out later, he had created something great. And let no one say it's bad to have two left hands. Incidentally, Glenn Burke was the first active baseball player to come out publicly. One small handshake for him, one big one for humanity.
When I'm not stuffing my face with sweets, you'll catch me running around in the gym hall. I’m a passionate floorball player and coach. On rainy days, I tinker with my homebuilt PCs, robots or other gadgets. Music is always my trusted companion. I also enjoy tackling hilly terrain on my road bike and criss-crossing the country on my cross-country skis.