Wednesdays are the night that I get to see my improv troupe, so there were plenty of hugs to be had. In fact, so many that I hesitate to give a number or list off the people because I don’t want to leave anyone out. (perhaps an incomplete list: Craig, Sean, Jeff, Josiah, Jacob, Laurie, Jon, Chad, and of course early in the day my daughter.) That’s a lot of man hug in there… what can I say? Small town mid-west improv troupes tend to have more men than women. The hugs were enthusiastic and people really seemed on board with the idea. I hope they received some of the same effects and benefits that I did on Day #1 of this project.
The immediate rush of pleasant feeling is still there. The euphoria that lasts through to the next day, not so much. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It just confirms that the excitement of the project had a lot to do with the good feeling that lasted through the next day.
What’s notable now is the enthusiasm of those who’ve participated. There were a couple of guys who didn’t hug and kinda slipped out the door quickly and quietly. Which is a shame, because I feel like those are the guys who could benefit most from a hug. Maybe this on-going report will convince them. Has this project given me more empathy? Perhaps. We’ll keep testing.