Hugs no longer allowed on the forum!

[Serial_Apologist]

Last Autumn - pre or post lockdown, I forget - I was waiting outside Sainsburys with my bags for the Taxi home. I became aware of someone calling out "great trees!"...."great trees!".....
Looking around I saw a young woman at the cash dispenser. Thinking she may be on the Tourettes continuum, I glanced across smiling. "I can't help it...I can't help it....sorry..." She said.

She came over, carefully folding the money away, "I can't help it...".
"Its OK... its OK..", I said..."Trees are great. Hug a tree today!"
"I don't hug trees", she said. "But will you hug me, please?"

Our embrace was long, warm, and mutually needy. Finally, I pulled back as gently as I could.... regretting doing so immediately.
She walked away, looked back and said 'You're beautiful! You're a beautiful woman!"

Since you ask, she wasn't wearing a mask; I had pulled mine down after leaving the shop.

I never saw her again. I never forgot it.

And yet, you're still alive???!!!

[Joseph K]

Last Autumn - pre or post lockdown, I forget - I was waiting outside Sainsburys with my bags for the Taxi home. I became aware of someone calling out "great trees!"...."great trees!".....
Looking around I saw a young woman at the cash dispenser. Thinking she may be on the Tourettes continuum, I glanced across smiling. "I can't help it...I can't help it....sorry..." She said.

She came over, carefully folding the money away, "I can't help it...".
"Its OK... its OK..", I said..."Trees are great. Hug a tree today!"
"I don't hug trees", she said. "But will you hug me, please?"

Our embrace was long, warm, and mutually needy. Finally, I pulled back as gently as I could.... regretting doing so immediately.
She walked away, looked back and said 'You're beautiful! You're a beautiful woman!"

Since you ask, she wasn't wearing a mask; I had pulled mine down after leaving the shop.

I never saw her again. I never forgot it.

A lovely anecdote.

[vinteuil]

A lovely anecdote.

... I dunno - I think I prefer




.

[french frank]

The Administration and Managers of the forum are pleased to announce that thanks, as usual, to the irreplaceable Andrew who located the missing file somewhere or other which I didn't even know existed, hugs are allowed once more (with discretion and where they would not cause complaints from refuseniks).

I usually refrain on a personal basis, but to demonstrate the point:



and to Andrew

[Nick Armstrong]

[Barbirollians]

[kernelbogey]

[Dave2002]

I thought that Hugs is - or was - a system for interacting with some functional languages - https://www.haskell.org/hugs/

JLW's story is really touching - and hopefully both participants are still well.

[french frank]

I thought that Hugs is - or was - a system for interacting with some functional languages - https://www.haskell.org/hugs/

I don't think we'll send Andrew in search of that one

[Serial_Apologist]

Thanks Frenchie! X

Not sure what the government's line on this return would be. You're allowed to hug but we don't think it's a very good idea, and were we to advise clearly, we'd rather you didn't!

[LMcD]

Thanks Frenchie! X

Not sure what the government's line on this return would be. You're allowed to hug but we don't think it's a very good idea, and were we to advise clearly, we'd rather you didn't!

Like many government initiatives, it's all more than a bit hugger-mugger.

[french frank]

You're allowed to hug but we don't think it's a very good idea, and were we to advise clearly, we'd rather you didn't!

And who am I to gainsay?