1985 saw me dragging my very patient girlfriend into New York City where all the major electronic stores were located. $1,700.00 later I had a Ricoh facsimile machine, 6 rolls of fax paper and delivered a huge hug to this wonderful woman who endured seven hours traipsing around the Big Apple. In 1987 she departed for greener pastures.
Thanks to the creation of sophisticated search engines, in 2007 I found her email address and could have connected sending some sort of visual hug symbol. I don't think she or her husband would have approved and it would have done nothing for me.
According to chatslang.com there are a variety of virtual methods to communicate hugging. Via e-mail and texting I may send any of the following: { }, ( { } ), { }, :) X, (hug) and finally ((( H ))). These symbols represent a range from "arms around" to "bear hug." In fact, using Skype and typing (hug) will apparently generate a cute little bear emoticon.
Nuh, Uh! Not for me. Firstly, I can't keep them all straight and I might accidentally send the wrong level of hug... and then there's the issue of tactile senses.
As a former elementary school teacher, I spent a lot of time dealing with tactile sensory processing. It's a major issue today in the understanding of Autism, Sensory Integration and other challenges.
Human touch is so important. There is nothing like a hug!
As we spend less and less physical time with those who mean so much to us, finding a way to ensure the survival of the hug is paramount!
So, after somewhere around 50+ years (more or less) on planet Earth I've decided to make a contribution. It's in the form of a request.
I'm reaching out via this progressive, activist, socially conscious publication to all brilliant minds. Please develop a virtual hug that can actually be experienced on something other than an intellectual or metaphysical plane?
I'd do it myself, but I'm not a technical guy! Ideas are my thing:)
Heck, we put a man on the Moon and have visited Mars in my lifetime. Is it inconceivable to create a visual virtual or is it virtual visual that will give the physical sensation of being hugged?
Possessing a Luddite/tactile personality I really don't want my request met.
What I'd like is for everyone to remember how great real hugs are! To a large extent, despite the digital era it's really a mind over matter issue. Call it mindfulness, awareness, living in the moment or whatever you prefer.
Use it or lose it they say.
Parents: mornings are hectic and often fraught with bickering and prodding to "hurry up," "get dressed," "eat all your breakfast," "did you brush your teeth," "I've got to get to work..."
When you send the kids off to school are you forgetting to give them a big squeeze? Even your adolescents... as long as it's at home. They may protest, but deep down most like 'feeling the loving.' You'll know if they don't which should be a cue worth thinking about. (click on page 3 now)
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
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