Hugs

A college friend and I were wondering, some time ago, if it was possible to mail a hug..

(I’m talking proper hugs here, not the type where you end up winded by someone trying hard, but not quite getting the knack of it.)

Now, short of packing yourself up, hopping along to the postoffice and, amid laughter and strange looks sit on the scales whilst asking for first class post, there is not much you can do.

The problem being, physical contact doesn’t translate well to paper, neither does it work well via computer screen.

There was a small breakthrough in this regard though with the advent of this gadget shirt but you have to be wearing it when the message comes through and not all hug moments are conveniently within bluetooth range of a computer.

So, the problem deepens – or not, because, I think I might have solved it.

What is it that a hug says, well it’s all those un-sayable things which we want to communicate, but can’t. Well if they are that un-sayable, then putting them on paper or emailing them won’t work by definition of the things that a hug says, i.e. un-sayable, the hug-on-paper/computer is not authentic because it actually says something.

It’s one of those things that you just have to experience in real life, something to wait for, and to enjoy when the time comes. Perhaps that is why they are so sought after, so precious, because nothing can really replace them in what they communicate! The physical contact one thing which, try as we might, we cannot replace with technology. It’s just satisfying thinking about it in that way – it’s almost as good as the hug itself!