Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Hugs and Hawaii...


I don’t do compliments well.  At all.  I can dispense them like a Pez, but I am not good at receiving them.  That has nothing to do with how I was raised, I received them from my parents.  It has everything to do with my personal self-worth.  I would imagine that the majority of us have a hard time receiving them.  Like, I am not abnormal in that respect.  Abnormal yes, but not in that respect.

What it the most common compliment I receive?  Hmmmm…probably that I give the best hugs.  If that is not at the top then it’s how non-judgmental I am.  I am sure I have discussed how non-judgmental I am in several previous blogs, so I won’t bore you with that again.  But I do give amazing hugs.  A hug is an incredibly powerful tool.  To me it’s like a handshake.  When I go to shake someone’s hand and they hand me this limp fish thing, or they barely react to you grabbing your hand, it says a lot about a person.  Sure, some people aren’t big fans of human contact, (which I personally think is silly) but regardless, a firm, acknowledging hand shake goes a long with me.  As does a hug.  I am a hugger.  But not just to a random person.  If I give you one, I damn well mean to.  And I HATE, HATE, HATE patters.  Seriously.  Do not PAT my back if you hug me.  For God’s sake squeeze.  Participate in the hug.  If you act like I am about to break you when I hug you, it’s probably a good idea to stand far enough back that I know you don’t want one.  But regardless of the strength of your hug, if you pat me, simply just look at me and say, I am a patter.  Sorry Tiff.  And I will respect you.  But if you hug me and pat…well, it isn’t pretty.  Sister…is a patter.  And so is Bella.  Kolbie will hug you till your ribs break… that is another extreme.  Jarod pats.  Dad, well I don’t hug enough to keep record of.  Mom, well, mom is like hugging the wind…simply just not much there.  But regardless, I love hugs.  I love giving them, receiving them.  There is no BAD time for a hug…we are human, we want touched.  Most of us.  Hugs are amazing gifts…and so damn, well you know, free.  Try hugging someone today, I guarantee it will brighten their day.

If I had to move tomorrow, to any state or any country, I am guessing that the majority of you would ASSUME I would say Minnesota, or even Wisconsin for that matter.  I can honestly say my heart is very, very happy there.  Especially along the St. Croix River, where I feel I get the best of both worlds.  But some of the happiest days of my life were spent in northern Minnesota as well.  From Bemidji to Duluth and UP!  I love it there.  I eat, sleep, and breathe better there.

However, I also fell madly in love with Las Vegas, even though that is the polar opposite of Minnesota, there was something about the place.  Not on the strip, or even that close to it, but close enough.  I am not a gambler, so that isn’t it…I cannot quite put my finger on it.

Since I can only choose one answer, drum roll please…I choose Hawaii.  As incredibly difficult as that drastic of a lifestyle change was for me, something soaked in my bones that I have never felt anywhere else.  It probably had something to do with the incredible beauty that your eyes experienced every time you opened them, no matter where you were.  I fell deeply in love with Kona and the “boho” atmosphere.  So laid back.  So incredibly breathtaking.  I also fell madly in love with Kauai…that is a beauty you cannot put into words.  I suppose I was spoiled in a way, in that everyone I was surrounded by were incredibly happy people because the majority of them were on vacation.  But the locals I did get to meet were amazingly relaxed as well.  How could you not be?  But I honestly the one thing I remember is how it smelled.  Walking along the beach, soaking up the salt water air…it was my favorite part about going back to the ship, having that smell on me…that ship smelled, well, less than comfy, but…yeah…anyway, I pick Hawaii.  I want to go back to Hawaii. 

The pictures you are seeing on my post are actually pics I took in Hawaii.

No comments:

Post a Comment