What's So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding? (Hugs)

Before you read this entry, take 5 minutes and watch this video. Even if you've seen it before, watch it to the end.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRpgwgVwCVA

I love this video. It makes my heart warm.

I have always been a pretty touchy, huggy kind of person. It comes from how I was raised. My brother and I still kiss our father, and hugs are just how we say hello. My mom loved how cuddly Ryan and I were growing up and she gave us lots of love in return. To me a hug is as vital to living as fresh air and clean water. A good hug is a warm, tight reassurance from another human that transfers good energy, and conveys a sense of love, caring and compassion.

Life is tough. It hurts sometimes. It's sad sometimes. I have found that a hug is a great universal "aspirin" for life. A hug is also a wonderful way to celebrate the joys and happiness of life.

Being a guy, hugging another man is frowned upon by some, and seen as "gay" to others. Usually it's a homophobic thing, but other times it's a matter of not being comfortable with a violation of personal space. I have encountered all of the 1/4 hugs, 1/2 hugs, bro hugs, and full on bear hugs. I try to make every effort to give everyone as big and strong of a hug as I can. Mainly because I feel like there is a shortage of hugs in the world. Thus my affection for the "Everyday" video.

Living in Colorado, I got to hone my hugging skills and practice quite a bit. I consider myself a hippie at heart. I wear the short haired, clean cut Republican look mainly for work. Peel it back and I'm all peace and love, man. The folks in CO are professionals. In my 7 years there following String Cheese and Phish I got together with some of the most loving caring, life celebrating people in the world. They know how to hug. The heart to heart hug. The group hug. The hug from the back. Looooong strong hugs with a mutually intense back and forth transfer of good love energy. There are some folks (P) that I almost felt actual electricity from. When you let go and feel them feeling you and concentrate, it's like nothing else.

Hippies get a bad rap I feel. No one takes us seriously. We are supposedly high all the time and don't or won't hold a job. Stinky and absent minded are also terms that are used. The thing that I love most about hippies is the strong sense of community and one love. Helping and loving your brothers and sisters, lending a hand, and always ready with a hug. In the Cheese and Phish crowd, it is a big family. So many shows and so many instances where altruism reigned. I haven't really been to a "mainstream" concert lately to compare, but there is rarely an incident of violence at these events. I always make a point to chat with the concession folks and security to see how kids are behaving, and without fail they all have smiles on their faces and have great things to say. It's this prevailing attitude of love instead of hate. A smile instead of a frown. And the one thing that carries and maintains this wave of goodness it's hugs.

I find it somewhat ironic that the "straight" people that slam or slight the hippies are those that stand by the Bible and don't see that this is Christ's teaching in real life. Love one another as I love you. Funny.

Someone somewhere once told me that people are like clams. They are either open or they are closed. It's not too hard to spot this after spending a few minutes with someone. You are either open..to new ideas, new people, love, happiness....or you are closed. It's the open people that I want to surround myself with. Think about it, you gotta be open to get a hug right??

So if this rings true to you at all, take a few minutes and offer someone a hug. A friend, a coworker, even a stranger. One hug could be all that they need to feel better about themselves. That one hug could be the only hug they've gotten all week, all month. The power of touch is immeasurable. Try to make it a habit to give those you do hug a longer deeper more concentrated hug. Feel the other person's heart close to yours, and then hold it for a minute. Take a deep breath or two. Close your eyes and melt away. I guarantee it will make you feel better as well as the other person. After all, they don't cost nothin.