Hugs!

Well, Edinburgh was quite a hug-filled place today.

Why?

Well, this was the basic idea:



That was a guy called Juan Mann who had a very simple idea. That sometimes a hug is all that we need. Now, September 10th has been unofficially declared as International Free Hugs Day all over the world. That video has been viewed over 17 million times, the Facebook event today had over 850 thousand people attending. People just going out and offering free hugs to the world.

What a great idea.

Of course I had to do it.

So I was out in Edinburgh today, with my excellently-engineered "FREE HUGS" sign (thanks Patrick for the help, and Thom/Susie/Adam for the materials) and a warm smile upon my face. And it actually works! After two hours and 161 hugs I definitely felt good inside knowing that I'd brightened up the days of 161 of my fellow human beings.

It was amazing!

First hug was a little schoolboy, then many many students and sun-enjoying-people on the meadows, and some old ladies who loved the idea. Then tourists on the Royal Mile and my 100th "abrazo" somewhere amongst a group from Spain in Princes Street gardens.

There were family hugs, running leaping hugs, hugs verging on acrobatics, group hugs, over-energetic hugs, hugs that were needed, hugs that were funny, hugs from people at work, hugs from people in suits, hugs across barriers, hugs from hastily-opened car doors, hugs from friends, hugs from family and many, many hugs from strangers :-)

A hug. A very simple thing that just makes people feel good.

The world needs more of them.