Dear President Obama:
I saw the tape of your hugging the woman with the terrible cancer problem at your town hall meeting. She seemed like she needed a hug. I don’t have cancer and I want a hug, too. But if I may, I’d like to offer some pointers on hug etiquette. My credentials on this subject are that I came from a hugging and kissing family.
It was a good starter as stranger-on-stranger hugs go. But you, Mr. President, are not a stranger to us. You are, like it or not, our Dad-in-Chief. Not just any dad. A Father Knows Best dad. So, you need a blend of the stranger hug (the tepid-two-second-and-pat-pat-pat-on-the-back hug) and the mourner’s hug (as if hugging your old friend who has just lost someone special). Let’s call it the I-get-it/I’m-here-for-you hug. I imagine it is at least a full-frontal ten-second hug, followed by a squeeze for emphasis.
I know you can do this, Mr. President. I can help you practice. When can I show up for my hug?
How interesting it is to think back and realize that we spent 8 long years concerned about the shortcomings of our former President (e.g. the fact that he was an alcoholic; the fact that he invented a war; the fact that he invaded the wrong country because he thought Iraq would make a bigger splash, etc…) and now in the deep dark circles of “blogdom” (Is that a word?), the best criticism of him we come up with is to ask him to work on his hugging skills. Very refreshing.
Excellent perspective Younger than 40 (For Now). Even though you don’t meet the basic 40 threshold, I am making a prodigy exception for you.
Thanks, the true over 40
You are so right and isn’t it great. Watch out for Sarah though. Wow, she is a wild card.