Can I Hug You? (Read 1094 times)

I oftentimes finish races only to find no one waiting for me at the end. I do have a husband and a 3-year old son, but since most races start early and I have to leave my house by 5:30 a.m., I let them sleep in and go it alone. Besides, I can't drag them to every race - especially not the endless series of 5K's. I am sure I'm not the only one competing alone with no visible cheering section. (I say no "visible" cheering section because, believe me, I am launching fireworks in my mind in honor of my accomplishment throughout the entire race!) In the end, though, I am frequently alone with no one to hug. I just trudge over and get my banana, take a sip of water, decide not to eat the banana, ponder why I'm not eating the banana, snicker at the people already wearing the t-shirt of the race we just finished (kinda like wearing the t-shirt of a band to said band's performance), and head home. Wait! I want a Snickers! That is why I don't eat the banana. I digress...no one to hug.... Sometimes the desire to hug someone is overwhelming, but I hold back assuming that a sweaty stranger does not want to hug another sweaty stranger. Would you find it freaky if a sweaty stranger hugged you? Could I hug you? What if I gave you my banana?

I have hugged some strangers at the finish--even when my familial cheering section is in attendance. Usually it's someone I have run much of the race with...sometimes people who keep me challenged at the finish, other times people I ran with early in a race and then lost. It's a treat to find them again at the finish. If you hugged me I would not think it odd. Mostly.

That's all well and good for you ladies ,but if I came up and hugged you, you would think it kind of strange.Especially if I had a banana..

Only because I don't really like bananas. But if you had a beer brat that would be different altogether.

You would need to put the brat in a bun, though. You wouldn't want to get any diseases...

You would need to put the brat in a bun

Hey Brat, what say you?

Ooh...it's getting hot in here. Wait, that's just the steamed buns.

There's only one Brat. Besides, I wouldn't want to cross swords. I learned something similar from Ghostbusters.

I'm just gonna back out of here real slowly...