So, yesterday was my town's annual Autumn Lights Festival. Basically, it's just a day where the shops and such set up stands throughout the main part of town and everyone can just walk around for the day. This year, they closed off a street as it was so big.
I was originally going to stay for only about two hours since I'm sick yet again, but it kind of got to the point where I was running on adrenaline, Mountain Dew, Coca Cola, and water and left at four. After about an hour of walking around with my friends, I got an idea of making a sign proclaiming "FREE HUGS!!" We went to Rite Aid, Erin and I bought a big piece of paper, markers, and tape, we sat outside and made our signs. (Erin threw hers out since "her mom would be so angry if she turns up in the newspaper.")
Sandy and Erin had to leave after a while, so I walked up and down the street with the other Erin. We met up with some kids and I kept giving out the Free Hugs. And you know what? It felt good that I was apparently making people's days. A couple people said that there should be more young people like me, and that just plastered a grin onto my face.
Oh, and while we were waiting for Erin's mom to pick her up, we stood outside the Dry Cleaner's and a man walked out. He was thirty at the most, and when he saw my sign, he stopped and dug out a five dollar bill saying, "I'm really glad you're doing this." He walked away when I tried to give him his money back. Just wow, y'know?
A lot of parents had their kids come hug me and then I gave them some hugs too. Really small kids, too. And some older people too; one elderly man in a wheelchair with tubes going up his nose and then the woman pushing him along.
Though, there were some assholes who called my friends and I "desperate", a woman who gave me a dirty look and said to get some manners in the bagel shop when I accidentally knocked into her; I said "excuse me" but she must have not heard me. And then some local jackasses, but as their label insinuates, they're jackasses so... A kid called me weird, et cetera, et cetera.
A lot of people said that it was cute that I was doing that and well, yeah. I might be in the newspaper too. :) A photographer took my picture as I raised the sign over my head, smiling.
A kid in a Bleach t-shirt tackle-hugged me three times, I hugged the Weichert Realtor box-person-thing, we hugged an army guy and another man whose birthday was that day, et cetera.
A girl in my class asked if she could borrow my sign for a second, and after about a minute of hesitation, I let her use it. But she wouldn't give it back until I was forced to snatch it out of her hand. I told her to go buy the paper if she wanted to make a sign so badly. I have a feeling that she was just making fun of me, but whatever.
I got at least one hundred hugs.
And when I was sitting on the railing by Shoprite with a kid I'd met that day, a woman walked up to us and asked me, "Hey, can I just ask you why you're giving out Free Hugs?"
"I... feel like I should, I guess."
She then gave me and my friend a hug, and then - heh - gave me a kiss on the cheek before walking away.
I'm definitely doing this every year. Hell, I'm making a t-shirt proclaiming "FREE HUGS" for school on Tuesday, since it was too worth it to make people happy.
Oh, and who wants a hug? :)
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