Sometimes all you need is a hug. Over the weekend I participated in a "Free Hugs" event run by my friend, LA. I first heard of the event through a YouTube video years ago but had no idea that it was started by an Australian or that I would be doing it at the same location in Pitt Street Mall. We made signs and stood out for hours giving free hugs to anyone who wanted them.
Some observations:
- We as a society are no longer comfortable with physical contact. That goes for my friends and I doing the hugging as well. It took awhile to get comfortable with it, we started by hugging each other a lot. After a full day of hugs, however, I felt like hugging random people on the street and the metro on the way back to my flat even without my sign.
- There were a lot of parents who said that their children never hugged them anymore once they became preteens, teens, and adults themselves.
- People who didn't want to hug a stranger would sometimes hug the person next to them as a way of getting away from us. Which is perfectly fine, it didn't matter who was hugging whom, just that the contact was made with someone.
- People where constantly asking me what we were selling or who we were trying to promote. The idea that I was not there during a guerilla marketing stunt or wouldn't ask them to make a purchase or donate money was impossible for some to understand. I loved being able to say "No catch, just hoping to brighten up someone's day." and mean it.
- Even those people who didn't come over would smile. We could brighten up someone's day.
- There were a lot of people who wanted to take pictures with us.
- I was shocked at the number of parents who would send their children over. Not only where they encouraging the children to talk to a stranger but to go up to one holding a sign.
- There was only one creepy guy which out of the number of hugs given that isn't a bad ratio at all.
- The cutest little girl wanted me to hug her doll, her scooby doo, and a little transformer plastic thing.
- People would walk into the middle of the square where we were to try and avoid a hugger only to realize that there were more of us and they were now surrounded.
- People went to the hugger that they felt the most comfortable.
- One old gentleman came over to talk to me multiple times throughout the day because he was lonely and needed someone to talk to.
- A few people grabbed extra signs and joined us for a while.
- Some people would share how they really needed a hug that day because they were having a bad day. It was great to be able to make a small difference in someones life.
If you are in Sydney be sure to check it out or start one in your own town! Not only is it a fun experience it can make a huge difference in someone's life and all it costs is a little time and the cost of a handmade sign.
*I just realized on January 15th that I had never posted this, instead writing it only as a draft. So I have now rectified that, still posting it with the original date.
