Sunday, May 31, 2009

Free Hugs

Earlier this weekend Amit and I went to Indy downtown for some authentic mexican food. Weather was nice and breezy and so were our moods. Going to Indy downtown on such nice day felt like heaven. Living in Columbus Indiana we don't find
much fun things to do. I always said, Columbus is a perfect town for people who are married with kids. This town absorbs you like anything if you fit in that bucket. Different events, activities that goes on in this town
are catered for this demographic. If you do not fit in that bucket, then good luck. You are on your own. So you will find Amit and me taking these mini trips to Indianapolis or Louisville or for that metter even to Cincinnati more often than what we wanted.We need a break and means to enjoy life :)
Acapulco Joe's is my all time favorite mexican reastaurant. Your taste buds start salivating right from the moment you eat their salsa. It's so delicious.It has perfect combination of chilies and tomatoes. It's hot with a nice twist to
it - your mouth doesn't get burnt with the hotness but you feel enough heat to crave for more. Their chimichanga is to die for. After a heavy meal at Acapulco's we took a stroll in downtown Indy. People were flocking to downtown to breath fresh air and get the glimpse of all the fun things going on in downtown. It's a
graduation time for most high school students and so we saw lots of 'kids' going around and doing all the 'aaha-s and ooh-s'. I was telling Amit how that age is such a wonderful age. 17-18 years. You are not mature enough to be seriously thinking about world issues and life tensions but you are not a kid as well to not understand the 'grown up thingies'. At the central monument We saw these two teenage girls carrying a big banner that says "Free Hugs". Initially I had no clue what exactly they meant. While we were sitting by the fountain watching people, traffic and passerby's we realized what 'Free HUgs' was. It's exactly what it says. Anyone can come and give hugs to these girls. And mind you these hugs were friendly, affectionate hugs. When I approached these girls, I asked them what this was. In a very cheering and happy tone one of the girl explained to me that they do this
out of fun and to make people smile and laugh. They believed this world is so full of tensions, hate and rivalry that loving another human being is becoming a rare thing. And isn't that so true. Finding someone to give a hug and just say "I see you, I trust you and I care for you" feels so great. There is a sense of belonging somewhere and at times we need that. Inspite of being surrounded by hundreds of people, we feel lonely and depressed. I believe these acts of kindness and love are much more needed in today's world. With more and more materialistic possessions and technological advancements, people are going away from each other. In these times
free hugs are going to be much needed and appreciated. I and Amit very happily gave a warm hug to these wonderful women and wished them very best for their future. I was amazed with the matured thought process they had at that age. Simply amazing. So, next time when you feel lonely or depressed, give someone a big warm hug and see how comforting you will feel by the touch of another human being.

2 comments:

  1. I wish grown people will learn something from these tenagers. We need to understand that love grows as we spread it and so does hate. Its upto us to decide which direction we want to go.

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