HUG

I would like to take this moment to discuss something we are all familiar with. Something you should be doing daily. Something that has been around since the first humans, and probably before. Something that is simpler than sneezing, but when done correctly, has the power to change the world. What could this be?? What in the world is he talking about?? I am talking about the hug. Yes, the hug. Here are my thoughts on this all powerful human expression.

I think that before we discuss the power of the hug, we should talk a bit about how one should properly hug. After all, if done incorrectly, a hug can be anything from awkward to creepy. A proper hug should take into account a number of factors:

1) Know who you are hugging

It is very important that you think about your hugee. If you are hugging someone who is uncomfortable touching people, you should not linger. For these people, a brief side hug may be more appropriate. Know your hugee, and act appropriately.

2) Know when to hug

There are times that it is okay to hug, and times it is not okay. For example, it is not appropriate to hug an old friend of the opposite sex if their significant other is present. Of course, there may be exceptions to this, but as a general rule, it is polite not to do so.

3) Know when to let go

There are different times to let go. I think we can all agree that, as a general rule, you should let go after a light squeeze. And then there are the people who prefer a bit longer hug. They don't really pose a problem, unless you are a short hugger. But, this segues nicely into part two of our discussion.

Now that we know how to hug, we should talk about why to hug. Hugs really aren't that complicated. You put your arms around someone, and they reciprocate. Usually. But what is it really, that you are doing? It isn't simply an encirclement of arms. That is, of itself, silly. I like to think of hugs as taking a big armful of happiness and squeezing it into both participants. To put it more clearly, hugs should be pure expressions of caring. And that is why all the above rules apply. You follow those rules because you care about the person. People can tell if you don't care. And then they just think you're weird.

Why would I take the time to discuss this? I don't know. I haven't bothered to figure that out. Suffice it to say that I have, and here it is.