Throw Your Arms Around Me

Long ago I realized that, much to my own dismay and annoyance, I am a magnet for people who desperately need friends.  Seriously, it's inevitable.  I'm in a crowd of people... whoever is having the hardest time fitting in will immediately hone in on whatever frequency I emit that says, Friend to all.  Don't get me wrong- it's nice to be liked and all that.  But it just. never. fails.  My friends have laughed at me for this reason countless times.  I will admit that it has resulted in some long-term friendships on a few occasions, but I had to fight to get beyond the qualities of these individuals that I initially found so irksome.

After Saturday, I can now say that apparently I'm giving off more vibes than just my standard Friend to all.  I had to get up early and go to a Junior League meeting from 8-12 on Saturday (and who doesn't just LOVE the Saturday morning 6:35 wake up alarm that came with it?) and I took the Metro in.  Because I am brilliant, I plotted my trains online the night before and knew I'd take the orange line in and have 3 minutes to switch and get on the red line at 7:47.  Everything was running on schedule.  I was on my game.  And then, as I stood looking at the headlights of the approaching train way down the track and saw the blinking warning lights on the grounding, a homeless woman approached.  At first she just asked what time it was, and my aforementioned brilliance was given a moment in the spotlight as I announced that the train that was coming was on time for its scheduled 7:47 arrival.  And then... she asked for a hug.  I literally had no idea what to do.  I'm not comfortable hugging people I don't know.  I don't even always want to shake their hands.  Plus, I live in a world where I've been taught to be incredibly cautious.  Don't leave your purse unzipped in crowded places.  Don't talk to strangers (obviously I'd already ignored that rule).  Don't take candy or food from strangers.  Don't get in cars with people you don't know.  The list goes on and on.  These are rules all kids are taught from early ages, but as an attractive female (yeah, I said it- I'm attractive.  I have a healthy self-image), society tells me I should be more cautious.  So back to the story.  Homeless lady asks for a hug.  Do I do the nice thing and give her a hug?  Do I cringe and recoil and say, "No, thanks!" and run?  I weighed my options at lightening speed and decided to go in for the hug and keep it brief.  I figured that, being homeless and all, it probably has been a long time since anyone offered her a hug.  Hugs are good for you.  And the train was coming so I knew I could cut it short by getting on the train.  So I kept my purse super close to my body (because of course I immediately wondered if she'd try and slip something out of it mid-hug) gave her a 1-armed hug, she put her head on my shoulder, and then I pulled away and jumped on the train. 

It felt like candid camera or some kind of weird social experiment.  What will the girl in the nice if not somewhat weird but nice outfit (another story for later) do if she's approached by a homeless person??  I guess I passed the test. 

I'm still wondering what made her pick me out of the crowd of people on the platform.  I can only assume I now have an additional sign that indicates I'll give free hugs.