Folks on Twitter knew I had a an undesirable official visitor at work for all of last week.
(Twitter people: "Um, yeah. She wouldn't shut up about it.")
She had a job to do, but to make matters worse, she's just not a very likable person and it was a long week.
When she left, she hugged me goodbye.
I was a little taken aback, but even though I don't like her, I suppose she's nice enough and this wasn't her first visit with us.
Still...
I mentioned this to Busy Chatty Employee and she immediately got all skeeved out because she (BCE) "isn't a hugger".
Work hugginess aside, I realized that I'm neither a hugger nor a non-hugger really.
I don't think a lot about it unless you're an awkward side-hugger. Then, I think about it.
BCE is younger than I am, and she offered that her friends are big huggers.
They hug when they see you and then again when they leave, even if you see each other every day.
I hug my friends on occasion, but mostly it's when I haven't seen someone in a while, or we're saying goodbye for what could be a long time.
Then there's the whole issue of hugging the opposite sex and the associated etiquette of when they're married or otherwise taken.
You know, linger time, air kiss, etc.
I have no idea where I'm going with this, just thought I'd bring it up.
Hugging really has a lot of associated issues, no?
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The club we belong to (the motorcycle club) are ALL huggers. It's ok, but as you mentioned there is always the 'how long' question, and also, both arms? One arm? Pat their back or squeeze? Sigh...
I need a manual.
I'm a hugger, but not of trees.
I'm definitely a hugger, but mostly just with my girlfriends. With guys, I usually wait for them to initiate it? And then I keep it fairly short.
Hugging the opposite sex is ok, if you just don't wiggle. That's kind of a faux pas.
Hugging the opposite sex is ok, you just aren't supposed to wiggle.
I'm Scottish. We are not huggy. The usual warm Scottish greeting consists of a slight backwards jerk of the head accompanied by "Alright?"
I am NOT a hugger. I won't freeze up totally when hugged, but I don't usually make it into a production. Just try to hug it out as quickly as possible. Generally if I hug someone, they are pretty close to me. I do NOT kiss anyone other than Mr. D and my kids. Blech.
I'm not a hugger, to the shame and disappointment of both my mother and my oldest daughter AND my husband.
They're all touchy-huggy-snugglers. Eeeew! if tey need lovin', I bake them cookies.
Actually, I'm OK for a short hug, but long, emotional hang-on-you hugs make me screech and ruuuuuuuuuun!!
You think hugging is awkward? You ought to meet my husband's grandpa. He is a lip kisser. I get a kiss hello AND goodbye. I hate it. HATE IT!
But, yeah, hugs suck too.
Especially when pretty/handsome enters into it. How much touchy feelhy do you put into it/withhold?
These are the big questions. Maybe there are some bigger, but I doubt it.
I'm kind of on the fence hugging-wise - I'll hug happily if the other person starts it, but I don't initiate. What I hate is air-kissing. I just hate it. It's one of the things I miss most about living in the mid-west - no air kissing.
I'm divided on hugging. If I know you really well and haven't seen you in a while, I'm liable to tackle you. But I HATE when casual acquaintances hug me. Tip: If I don't hug you first, you ought not hug me.
I realize that's kind of mean, but hey, take it or leave it.
Ok, so now we need hugiquette? and touchiquette?
I'm not a hugger. I do hug family members when the occasion calls for it - goodbys, comforting, etc. - I'm not an unfeeling person, I just prefer that casual friends and co-workers stay out of my space. When I came in the door at work this morning, one of my co-workers was coming down the hall and greeted me with open arms. What was up with that? He had papers in his hand and I was so startled when he hugged me that I knocked all his papers on the floor and he had to pick them up. It was a little embarrassing. But he probably won't try that again so maybe it wasn't such a bad thing!
I am generally not a hugger at all. I may on occassion participate in a hug but it is usually pretty awkward.
At work it is worse...I once had a male co-worker visiting from France try to lean in for the double kiss, perfectly acceptable in his world, not so in mine. I must have ducked because he then apologized. Very awkward.
Apparently I'm totally Scottish, who knew?
Oh wow. I've never bene hugged by anyone I worked with. That's kinda creepy.
I am a huggy kind of person, but I realize not everyone else is :) My husband's family are not, but after being married a few years to me, they are warming up to my signs of affection.
Maybe it is your upbringing that determines if you are a hugger or not? Hmm...that sounds very deep, doesn't it?
I'm a hugger, but I try to judge if the person is going to be weird about it, then I hold back.
I actually don't really have personal space issues.
Wow, I thought it was just me who gets all awkward about this. Looks like it gets everyone uncomfortable.
I'm a real hugger with hubby, my kids & my mother when she visits, but otherwise I just don't know what to do.
I think it goes back to high school for me, when any affection between girls meant you were 'lezzos' (not my word, so don't bash me).
I try not to hugs guys either, because either they think you're coming onto them or they grab a squeeze. Icky either way :P