Although the common term is "golden handshake," I misremembered the phrase for an early retirement offer as "golden parachute." Somehow it's more appealing and evocative to me. I like the idea of slowly floating down towards a welcoming earth, better than a one-off handshake.
I've never liked shaking hands. I think even before I heard that the practice originates from showing a stranger that one's empty hand contains no weapon, something about the gesture struck me as not really friendly. At some point in my Black Bear days, I began the practice of offering my left hand to someone's outstretched right hand, so that I join them into a circle of friends, rather than agree not to fight–a much more positive message.
