I don’t like hugs.
It’s nothing about the hugger, nothing that anyone should
take personally. I just don’t like hugging.
I don’t think most people appreciate how much interpersonal
skill goes into giving and receiving hugs. What if one of you is sweaty? What
if one of you is stinky? How long is a hug supposed to last? What if the hug is
misunderstood as a gesture of sexual interest? What if I’m hugging a man and he
gets an erection? Am I allowed to notice? Where do the arms go? Do I put them
around the neck if someone is taller? Do I wrap them around the back and do a
full frontal? Most importantly, consider what I look like. I’m a short woman
with larger-than-most boobs. This is really the crux of the situation.
