I really like the song "As Long as You're Here" by the Sick Puppies-- so much so I tagged it on my iphone (it does this neat thing where you can use an application to identify any song you hear-- you just have to ask it to listen to it)-- anyway I looked up the song/ video on YouTube. What I came across was actually the Free Hugs campaign which is put to this song! Please watch the attached video.. but I wanted to give you a brief synopsis and then talk a little about it as well.
Basically the video starts out with a John Lenon looking guy with a sign that states "FREE HUGS"-- it starts out with a bunch of people ignoring him and darting past him. We all know we've dodged a few "weirdos" out in public before. As the video progresses it shows people starting to hug him-- then more and more hugs come-- then other people participate with their own signs. Eventually the cops come and shut the whole thing down-- they are banned from giving away free hugs! So what happens in turn actually is really emotional for me-- all of these people ban together and start a petition to override the ban on free hugs! They are able to acquire 10,000 signatures (which is what they need to remove the ban) and then everyone celebrates with a hug. The video completes with a bunch of people hugging.
What I find so great/ intriguing/ emotional about this is the theory behind it! Our society has become so detached from one another-- where we'd rather blog to people we don't know than actually talk to someone we do know! Our society has become so interconnected with "social networks" like facebook, myspace, friendster, linkedin -- but what we're lacking is the physicality-- is the actual face to face *I care about you*. On any one of these social networks I can silently keep up with my friend-- but that's just it.. it's SILENT. I can't tell that ANYONE cares for me because I don't know they are "checking in with me"-- what a shame this is really!
There was a study done that showed that in order for a person to be emotionally happy/ fulfilled they need to feel connected with other people--- connected PHYSICALLY! They found that we need to be touched 7 times daily to be emotionally content (touching-- as simple as someone patting you on the shoulder or grabbing your arm) 7 times! Isn't that amazing.. I sit back and think about that-- and the truth is-- I go days.. even weeks sometimes without touching anyone! When I really start to think about that-- it's absurd-- but completely the truth!-- I'm physically anemic in a severe way when it comes to physical contact with people-- and I'm sure many of you are the same way!
I think that's why this video is so amazing to me! Once people became open to the idea of touch-- they were willing to fight for it. How ridiculous is it that our society has become so "anti- touch" that something as innocent as a free hug would be looked upon as strange-- and such a publicly menacing thing that it had to not only be stopped but BANNED from occurring!
Anyway-- those are my thoughts--- enjoy the video-- and reach out and touch someone today! I'm going to virtually hug all of you now-- lol but remember that doesn't count towards anyone's 7 a day :o)
Basically the video starts out with a John Lenon looking guy with a sign that states "FREE HUGS"-- it starts out with a bunch of people ignoring him and darting past him. We all know we've dodged a few "weirdos" out in public before. As the video progresses it shows people starting to hug him-- then more and more hugs come-- then other people participate with their own signs. Eventually the cops come and shut the whole thing down-- they are banned from giving away free hugs! So what happens in turn actually is really emotional for me-- all of these people ban together and start a petition to override the ban on free hugs! They are able to acquire 10,000 signatures (which is what they need to remove the ban) and then everyone celebrates with a hug. The video completes with a bunch of people hugging.
What I find so great/ intriguing/ emotional about this is the theory behind it! Our society has become so detached from one another-- where we'd rather blog to people we don't know than actually talk to someone we do know! Our society has become so interconnected with "social networks" like facebook, myspace, friendster, linkedin -- but what we're lacking is the physicality-- is the actual face to face *I care about you*. On any one of these social networks I can silently keep up with my friend-- but that's just it.. it's SILENT. I can't tell that ANYONE cares for me because I don't know they are "checking in with me"-- what a shame this is really!
There was a study done that showed that in order for a person to be emotionally happy/ fulfilled they need to feel connected with other people--- connected PHYSICALLY! They found that we need to be touched 7 times daily to be emotionally content (touching-- as simple as someone patting you on the shoulder or grabbing your arm) 7 times! Isn't that amazing.. I sit back and think about that-- and the truth is-- I go days.. even weeks sometimes without touching anyone! When I really start to think about that-- it's absurd-- but completely the truth!-- I'm physically anemic in a severe way when it comes to physical contact with people-- and I'm sure many of you are the same way!
I think that's why this video is so amazing to me! Once people became open to the idea of touch-- they were willing to fight for it. How ridiculous is it that our society has become so "anti- touch" that something as innocent as a free hug would be looked upon as strange-- and such a publicly menacing thing that it had to not only be stopped but BANNED from occurring!
Anyway-- those are my thoughts--- enjoy the video-- and reach out and touch someone today! I'm going to virtually hug all of you now-- lol but remember that doesn't count towards anyone's 7 a day :o)
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