When I was in middle school we were taught "Hugs Not Drugs"...

Last night as I was making dinner, Dylan came to me in an outrage. She had just read an article in the paper that upset her. The article was about hugging. Yes - hugging. Not a big news story but significant nonetheless, especially to a 13 year old girl. The article itself was pretty thin. Apparently yesterday was National Hugging Day (???) so I suppose it was a timely interest piece. More than likely it was inspired by a press release distributed by the publisher of a book on teenage hugging. After reading it myself, I have to concur with her opinion. More than outrage, I feel sadness. You can read the whole article here.

"Today's squeezes...have become so pervasive that some schools even reprimand frequent or aggressive huggers. Bus and carpool drivers complain of delays brought about by excessive after-school hugging. At a school in Pequot Lakes, Minn., administrators discipline extreme huggers. Before the clampdown, students there were hugging as many as 60 times a day."

The notion of a "clampdown on extreme huggers" strikes me as ludicrous. I can think of a million things to be concerned about with todays teens, but too much hugging just isn't one of them. What is worse is the reasons they are concerned. Delays for carpool and bus drivers. WTF is that all about? Has our society really reached the point where parking lot traffic flow is given consideration over expressions of caring and friendship? Sad. Truly Sad.

I was also surprised to learn while dicussing the article with the girls that hugging is indeed a "banned" activity at their school. Being the radical activist that I am I gave them my blessings to protest this rule and hug to their hearts delight. Reminds me of my own youth and the "Great Sock Rebellion of 1984" when me and some fellow 'ludicrous punks' as the school adminstrators referred to us, pinned baby socks to our clothing in protest of a dress code clause requiring us to wear socks.

posted by Unknown at 6:35 pm