Editor 's note : Myron Lowery is mayor of Memphis , Tennessee . Memphis Mayor Myron Lowery fist bumps the Dalai Lama on his arrival in the Tennessee city . MEMPHIS , Tennessee ( CNN ) -- `` Hello Dalai , . Well , hello ... Dalai ! '' It seemed like a good idea at the time . And with hindsight being 20/20 ; it still does . How often do you get to meet an international figure as captivating as the Dalai Lama ? I wanted to make an impression , and break the ice , in my Southern hospitality sort of way . So enter the lyric from the song and the fist bump now heard round the world . I had been told by his representatives that the Dalai Lama had a wonderful sense of humor , and would enjoy the exchange . Indeed , he did . His Holiness laughed , returned the gesture , and gave me his blessings . And in our brief time together , I saw in his eyes the sparkle of kindness , love and good humor . It 's unfortunate that not everyone could allow themselves to enjoy the moment , as we did . Barely an hour passed before reporters began calling to say my fist bump with the Dalai Lama was `` disrespectful , '' unusual and perhaps inappropriate . Why would I do that , they asked ? Well to answer that , I would have to go back a couple of weeks or so . One of my assistants in the mayor 's office began feeling ill. After a couple of days off work , she was diagnosed with the H1N1 flu . She sits 10 feet away from me . The swine flu story was hitting close to home in a major way . As the leader of a major city , I had to step forward and deal with fears about a virus that has never been known to man . Watch the Dalai Lama 's fist bump » . So I rolled up my sleeves and took a shot for the seasonal flu . I encouraged everyone to get the H1N1 vaccine as soon as it becomes available . I urged people to cough politely into a napkin or their sleeve . I had hand sanitizer installed in the common areas at city hall . I greeted the Chairman of the City Council with a fist bump and it made the local news . It became a running theme in City Hall . The mayor would greet you with a fist bump . A day before His Holiness came to the city , I spoke to the Dalai Lama 's protocol team and they said he would not be upset or offended being greeted this way . In fact it has happened in the past . So , armed with this information I decided to greet him when he arrived Tuesday in a similar fashion . Not because of any concern about H1N1 . I greeted him this way because I 'm a down to earth guy , who was raised by a single mother with four sons in public housing . I still tell everyone to call me Myron . I am now living a dream as the mayor of Memphis . And Wednesday , as I sat and watched His Holiness accept an award from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis , the gravity of the moment was in no way lost on me . An international crusader for peace was here on the hallowed ground where the Rev . Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. took his last breath . He offered his blessings , walked into the crowd , touched people . He carried himself humbly , not as one to be feared , but as a man , sharing his humanity , making us all better for it . So in the final analysis , I know His Holiness is always happy to participate in local customs , however obscure . He is about peace and harmony , and a fist bump is just another expression of warm friendship that he again returned to me before he left . And the `` Hello , Dalai ? '' Well , that was just a bonus . He knew it was coming and we all laughed together . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Myron Lowery .
Myron McCormick : I greeted the Tibetan Lama with a fist bump and a hug . He says H1N1 virus leads to fears about spread of the new virus . He says he 's been encouraging people to use fist bump to prevent infection . Lowery : ` ` A fist bump is just another expression of warm friendship ''