Sometimes people in Union Square ask us if we want a hug. We figure it's some sort of social experiment and are usually in a hurry when we're in that part of town anyway, so we always politely decline. But then there are those days when we just really need a hug and find ourselves very far from Union Square. New York can be lonely, and sometimes there's no one around to hug us. Wouldn't it be nice if you knew there was always a reliable hug source to be found? One Indian woman has made it her life's work to hand out free hugs day and night:
...no-one leaves unhugged. "Amma will stay until 2am, 3am, 4am or later, until there is no-one left. She does not get up, she'll just sit there the entire time and has about an hour and a half to sleep before she starts again."
Katarina Diss, 52, of Bedfordshire, is one of those at the event who has experienced darshan for the first time. "It's difficult to put into words," she says. "You are touched by something very profound that ripples through you. It's something that's going to unravel itself over time, I think."
Maybe the Hug Tour will come through New York. Here's hoping.
[Via BBC News]
Image from Yukari's Flickr
