Hugs

You can tell a lot about a person by one's hugging technique  (This writer tends to use 'one' as opposed to "him or her" so as not to get bogged down in the stuff of gender traps.  Take note also, that a lot of times in Bible translations, particularly the King James, the uses of 'man' therein are mistranslated.  The tragedy of this is that men have used these mistranslations to their benefit in ministry and the Church, and women have been unnecessarily oppressed -- and suppressed -- for too many years by the misuse of 'man' when the original word was one of neutral gender.)  Okay -- that's the one digression allowed in this short piece.  Back to one's hugging techniques.

I just watched a video clip of Michelle Obama visiting an Obama-Biden Campaign New Mexico Field Office.  Have you ever noticed her hugs?  They come with a warm small, and are full embraces that generally conclude with several light right-handed back pats, perhaps 7 or 8, then the hand is still for a few seconds before the hug is broken.  Those look like really nice hugs.  

There is a soprano in my church choir.  I would venture to say she is of sufficent age to be my mom.  Whenever I see her coming toward me I know I'm going to get a double-handed wraparound hug that many times makes me doubly glad I came for our 90-minute workover or thrashing or any number of other physically grueling terms one might use.  (Singing, especially in my church choir, is quite an awesome experience, but if done properly, one's body will be physically wasted at 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday evenings if leaving our music suite.)

Then there's the traditional hug with my daughter -- the double-handed right-and-left rocking hug, with circular back rubs and maybe a pat or two.  My favorite.

Analogous to a full-throated (I've been waiting to use that well-worn phrase) admission of I really am glad to see you or I really do care about you kind of thought, the three above-describe hugs are among the best.  Then, there are those whatever hugs.  You know:  the kiss-air don't-touch-my-makeup hug.  The two-armed, split-second, don't move or I'll shoot you hug.   One question:  why waste the time, effort and energy with a whatever hug?  Just curious.  

If you really don't want to do it, then don't.