Who can turn down a hug?

On the days that I'm not commuting with my dad to work in DC , I take the metro. At many of the metro stations in the DC area there is a person handing out free Washington Post Expresses. Not all of the news presented in this paper is substantial but at least it promotes the dissemination of information and awareness of current events - and it's FREE! The greatest part about this service, at least at the Rockville station is the man who hands out the papers. He is the cheeriest and most friend paper man I've come across. I'm usually standing on my ride or have other material to read, so each day I have to kindly turn down his offer but he still wishes me "a wonderful day!"

Well about a week ago, I was approaching from a distance and saw a woman walk up to this man, take the paper and they embraced in a huge hug. At first it seemed that they knew each other. But as I got closer I saw not one, but two other people give the paperman a hug. And they didn't stay to chat, but moved on with their days. I saw it happen again a few days later.

Whether these people were strangers to the paperman or not, I was inspired. I finally got up the courage yesterday and as the paperman reached out to hand me a paper I impulsively said, "I don't want a paper but I sure as heck want a hug!" "You betcha!" he said as he pulled me into a great big bear hug and a smooch on the cheek" Alright maybe I could have done with out the smooch, but boy did the spontaneity of that hug feel good!

It reminded me of the Free Hug Campaign started by an Australian man. There's something uniquely touching (no pun intended ;) about connecting with fellow human beings this way. Maybe it's the randomness of it or the fact that there's no qualifications to deserve such a gift either way, it's a good reminder that love can be (no, it is) present, no matter where you are or who you're with.

To be young and voting

There was a good commentary in Christian Science Monitor on May 5th that discusses the surge in young voters (ages 18-29) during the primary election season and it claimed that this will likely have an impact on this year's presidential election. One could also argue that the effect of the youth involvement will take this country in a direction that is drastically different from its present state - hopefully for the better. And it's a good thing to consider because change is the key word of this season. Tradition is not the bandwagon people want to jump on. And the candidates are noting this desire for change, for a fresh new approach to leadership and politics.

This article reminds me of a conversation my dad and I had about the differences between generations when it comes to political involvement and how that involvement impacts the direction of the country. He thought it was great that so many young people are excited and involved in the political scene but he also made an interesting point about the expectations of Generation X and the Millenials. Barack Obama has been very successful in tapping into the younger generation through the internet and inspirational speeches and empowering them by involving them in the process - Yes we can do this for America, instead of Yes I can do this for America. However, he said, because this generation was raised with so much technology and with the expectations of instant gratification, there is the chance that we will give up to quickly and not put in the hard work necessary to see real change come about. If the expectation is to have a political revolution and alter bureaucratic habits in just one election, then we are going to be very disappointed. We have the excitement but can we sustain it? This nation is 232 years old and we're just now having the opportunity to have a female or black president? My dad's point is that change takes a very long time and patience, something that is very rare these days, is going to be the key trait the young generation will need to develop and really see change come about.