"free hug"

Two days ago, I was strolling down State street, en route to the public library to pick up some books, when I was surprised to see a young man holding up a huge posterboard sign with the words “free hug” emblazoned on both sides in large letters. Intrigued, I picked up the pace and with a quickened pulse wondered whether I would request a free hug from the gentleman as I wandered past. What do you say to such a stranger offering such a strange thing? As I drew nearer, I noticed that only one person had taken the man up on his offer (a young woman in a red coat and black hat with earflaps), and that most people were avoiding eye contact and passing him by nonchalantly even though he was perched on the sidewalk at a relatively busy pedestrian intersection. He was obviously taking a great delight in people's slight discomfort stemming from his presence as evidenced by the goofy grin on his face and bemused twinkle in the eye. Just as I had made up my mind to embrace a complete stranger, and was a half-block away from this social magician of sorts, he began looking dejected and wandered a bit east of the intersection at which he had stationed himself.

Thus, I did not get to ask him about the marvelous social experiment he was performing, but I am certainly curious. Who knew someone with a sign labeled “free hug” could so thoroughly transform my day? My heart was made a bit lighter knowing that a whimsical, mischievous magic still exists in the world. But his offer of service and/or performance, brings up other questions about strangers, perceptions of Self and Other, the latent danger of intimate contact with the unknown (but its immediacy is lessened by the public nature of the space in which the act was occurring) – and this milieu of emotions is what I think people felt as they passed him, and probably why most people didn't take him up on his offer. But really, what if most people were genuine in their intentions and what if we perceived them that way as well? Maybe we could move through the world a little easier? If only!