AbsolutePower

I dove into the first challenge yesterday. I woke up, put the dog out, and got ready for the gym. I'd planned to start hugging people after my workout but then decided no one wanted to hug a funky stranger. So I made a list of the non-perishable items I needed from Walmart and decided to go there first. I had a strategy. I'd go in through the garden department which is always deserted first thing in the morning, and hug the greeter.
So, no greeter was there and I went in hugless. I saw a man stocking the shelves and hesitated. Then I threw on a big smile and marched up, announcing, "Guess what! It's Free Hug Day." He accepted with a smile, we hugged, and I felt less stupid with each passing second. I gave out my second hug on the way past the freezer section. It was going so well. I became a woman with an eye peeled for hug recipients.
After awhile I went looking for rejection. I wanted at least one funny story to tell. I passed a group of women on the toilet paper aisle. They looked so ornery that I lost my nerve.
I guess I don't want to be rejected even if it's for a good cause. Why such an aversion to the word "no"? It's kind of weird when you think about it.
On my way out, through the garden department, a tapped a woman on the elbow and informed her that it was free hug day. She lit up, we hugged, and she said, "I don't know how you knew that I needed a hug."
I had one of those cheesy sentimental moments, like the lesson part of a family sit-com. I felt great!
Next up: the gym, where I hugged no one. We were sweaty and gross. But my mood was super!

I went to school at three o'clock. I had a class that started at three, but I didn't go to class. I went to see a guest speaker in the Student Center. I ran into someone I'd taken a Literature class with last semester. I didn't remember the guy. I mean at all. Period. If he hadn't come up to me, I would have kept walking. But as we sat waiting for New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci to take the podium, we had a nice conversation. We talked about classes, frustrations with our courses, and one of my favorite subjects in all the world: creative writing. And we talked about something that I know nothing about, physics. So I learned a few things. That was cool.
I wonder how many people I've missed out on by not caring enough to even notice that they were in the room...
I typically have a friendly disposition, and I chat easily, but in a room I usually sit beside no one if at all possible. I always look people in the eye, but I must not be doing it right.
Mr. Baldacci, author of one of my favorite novels, "Absolute Power", gave a riveting speech. I truly enjoyed it. Afterwards, he signed books outside the Ballroom. Of course I had my copy of "Absolute Power" and I got it signed.
But you know what I told him, right? So, I got a signed book, a picture, and a hug!

By the way, I will totally give out free hugs again. And especially if someone appears to need one because I have the power to change someones day for the better.