I was raised in somewhat of an unemotional family. From the time I was a young boy until I met my soon to be wife, no one ever told me they loved me except my grandparents. No one ever hugged me except my grandma. My parents did not abuse me, or were mean to me. They tried their best to provide for all of us kids. They just weren’t the kind of parents that were good at showing affection. This lack of affection was troubling to me however-- as I did love them both very much. My wife’s love for me however opened new doors into showing affection for others.
Today the far left is trying their best to paint Joe Biden as a pervert. Joe is a moderate and a hugger but not a socialist leaning person and that threatens them. It shows you how shallow they are. It shows you the depth of animosity that runs in our political process. Enough about that and yes the other side of the aisle has the poster child for this kind of bad behavior but their politics trump his behavior also, (funny how that word got in there) anyway they don’t care.
I have over my long life hugged many people. I hug my family and friends, boys and girls alike because I care for them. Never was it done to try and touch something I shouldn’t touch but I guess if someone wanted to make the case they could. It would be a ‘he said, she said’ thing-- and usually ‘he saids’and ‘she saids’ end with off setting penalties that hurt both parties-- at least in politics. I’m never running for office but yet my life is an open book and I have talked many times about things in my past. There are people that are not comfortable hugging me or anyone else. I don’t think anything is wrong with that. All you have to do is extend your hand and your intentions are apparent to me and everyone else and believe me, I understand. No one will think less of you for being private.
As a firefighter I was at a particularly hard fought fire many years ago. It was an extremely hot day and I was exhausted. I had found a place under a tree in the shade and took off my gear. I was being somewhat emotional as there had been a heavy loss of property and life. A woman who lived in the neighborhood saw me and brought me something cold to drink and while I drank she could sense how troubled I was. She asked me if I needed a hug and I guess I smiled at her suggestion but I didn’t answer her and I didn’t get up for that hug either. As she walked away from me I could see she was crying and I felt so bad because it was then that I realized that maybe we both had needed that hug. I found out later her friend’s apartment was one of the ones that was lost.
We live in troubled times. The conflicts of politics has done it’s best to drive wedges between all of us and compartmentalize us. Male and female, white and people of color. Rich and poor, young and old were all in this together and this world belongs to all of us. Until we realize this and fight for what’s right and decent for everybody and not what gets you votes with distortions and half truths and attempts to ruin someone’s reputation to make yourself look good, the answers for a better society for all of us, will remain out of reach.
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