Hug, Anyone?
I saw an article this past week that in a somewhat bizarre episode of East meets West, the practice of hugging has been imported and introduced to a somewhat confused and ever resistant Chinese public. Beijing News reported that a “free hug” campaign was launched over the weekend with “participants opening their arms to embrace passers-by and brandishing cards saying ‘free hugs,’ ‘care from strangers,’ and ‘refuse to be apathetic.’” The report noted that while the police in Beijing eventually took the four huggers away for questioning (they were ultimately released), and huggers from the cities Changsha and Xi’an noted that they didn’t get to give as many hugs as they hoped; it was confirmed by all of the hugging teams that the level of curiosity was great enough that it opened a dialogue between the public and the huggers.
I want to offer kudos to the Free Hugs campaign for making the effort. Certainly, this can only be seen as positive breakthrough in international relations. Someone, somewhere, has taken the time to open a dialogue without using coercion or force. This has to be seen as a positive step that can only benefit all of humanity. Although I have never really checked, I can’t remember ever seeing a death certificate that said death by hugging. No, human touch can be a very good thing. It can be loving, sensual, or reassuring, gentle and kind. A hug can offer what words can often not. I’m touched by this article and the effort shown. I wish I had thought of the whole idea. Now, since Free Hugs gets all the credit for this news article, all I can offer is a call to action to keep the momentum going! Hug, anyone?