The Dreaded Hug

For the last year or two, I’ve been practicing hugging. That might seem like an odd thing to need to practice, but somewhere along the way, I lost the initiative to hug. I’ve always hugged family, but somehow missed the memo about hugging being the proper greeting as long as you weren’t at work. And if you’re not a natural hugger, trust me, getting used to all that hugging takes practice.

My good friends that I’d met prior to a few years ago all knew that I lacked the natural ability to hug. I’d hug back when pressed, but I’m awkward at the hug initiative. Hell, I used to not even touch people so I consider the fact that the hug seems to one of the last road blocks a good sign. Then I met my friend Megan, who would and does hug everybody she knows or meets. It turns out when you just get hugged all the time, it starts to seem less awkward. And while it still seems a little weird, I have good friends that I now hug whenever I see them. Sometimes I even initiate the hug. Feel free to send my “most improved” award to my home address.

Somewhere along the line, I started meeting people who didn’t know that I wasn’t a hugger. And for my self imposed hug therapy I decided to just go with it. And it turns out that everybody out there is a freaking hugger! I know this couple through another good friend of mine, and I end up running into them all over Portland in the most random places. On the Max, in Nordstrom, at Hood to Coast, etc. From about the second time we met, they started hugging me. For a person who typically only hugs family, hugging acquaintances is a big step.

The hugging of non-family and non-best friends has gotten so out of control that even my masseuse hugs me. But she gives the awkward extra long hug. As a new member of this hugging society, I’m not really sure what to do about that. I’m sure if she were a yummy smelling amazingly good looking guy, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

While I still wouldn’t call myself a hugger, I now hug. And while I enjoy being my own island, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that a hug just makes you feel good. One small hug for mankind, one giant step for Heidi.