And I Know You How?

Hugging.

Hugging has always been an uncomfortable social gesture from me and I still have a hard time discerning when it became so.

I've never been the kind to initiate a hug (except for my harassing hug-and-squeezes on Oregon-B every time he visits) because I'm really unclear as to what is to be gained from this. Now, before I go forward and dig a potential whole with those dear to me, I'm speaking about hugging people that are neither family nor people I'm dating.

I recall the most awkward hug I've ever gotten. I was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army and had been invited over with other Lieutenants from our company to our Commander's house for dinner. Our Commander was a Captain, as was his wife...who also happened to be a Commander (and a smokin' hottie for that matter). I'd never met my Commander's wife, and found her to be pretty cool...but still...well, a Captain. So after a night of "pass the salt sir", and "the gravy's really good ma'am"..me and the other Lieutenants shuffled to the door bidding our Commander and his wife good evening. Our Commander approached us first and gave us a big hearty, MP handshake and affirmed we were doing great things in our unit...then his wife came up to bid us farewell....

*Now at this point, I don't know whether it was the fact that she had wine in her from dinner, or that she maybe had panicked about having so many low grade Officers over to her house or what, but she took the etiquette rule book and flung that bastard out the window.*

Despite the fact that I had stuck out my hand and extended the greeting "have a great night ma'am, we really appreciate having dinner with you two"...she completely ignored it and gave each of us a hug. And not only was it the fact that this is the first time we had met her in our lives...ANNND the fact that she's a Captain in the Army and we're way below her on the food chain....her hug was one of those where it lasts just a bit too long. Even after I gave the "okay, that was good" multi-pat on her back, she held on just alittle too long. I avoided eye contact with my Commander but I was positive that night he was going to kill us the next day at work.

So I guess in the end, I'm blaming my hatred of hugs on wine....and over affection Company Grade Officers.