Free Hug?

I woke up early on Thursday morning. I was nervous. I’m not the most outgoing person in the world, so what I was about to do gave me tiny nervous butterflies. To calm my nerves a bit, I wrote out “Free Hug?” with a Sharpe on white-lined paper and taped it onto my shirt. I figured I would try to get people to come to me instead of me going to them. Maybe it was the fear of rejection?

I walked out of my dorm. The lady I always see cleaning my floor was at the end of the hall. I told her I was doing Free Hug Day and asked if she would like a hug. She accepted, then told me it made her day, and she was going to have a good rest of the day. That made me feel better. It is always nice to hear that you are the reason someone’s day is good.

I continued to walk out of my dorm and down the street with the sign taped to my stomach. I noticed this one guy staring from his car when he was stopped at the light at Piedmont Avenue and Auburn Avenue. Many people throughout the day looked at me strangely.

The sign worked. Many people came up to me wanting a hug. Actually, I noticed only girls asked for hugs. I did hug guys, but it was only because I asked if they wanted a free hug. Also, a lot of people asked why I was doing free hug day; it was a good conversation starter. Overall, I believe it was a good experience. It definitely brought me out of my shell.

Would I do Free Hug Day again? Probably. Especially if someone looks like they need one or if I feel like they are under appreciated. I think a hug is the perfect thing to make a person feel loved and needed.