If you happened to be rolling or strolling through the intersection of Elm and Orange streets Tuesday afternoon, you were likely offered a free hug from an enthusiastic contingency of well-coiffed women dressed in black.
The women, who are known as “future professionals” at the local Paul Mitchell School, were taking part in an annual tradition for their school at its locations across the United States: the giving of hugs. (Click on the video to watch what happened.)
You didn’t have to pay any money, agree to a haircut, or even do anything particularly nice to get a hug — just fling open your arms and be enveloped into another pair of arms or three. This year marks the sixth year that Paul Mitchell School students across the country have taken to the streets of their communities, designed homemade signs and offered free hugs to strangers.
While some passersby passed on the hugs with smiles that said, “Please don’t touch me,” there were plenty of hug takers. The women also got encouragement from people in their cars who were in too much of a hurry to slow down for a hug, but showed them some love with a few blasts of their car horns.
If you are a little freaked out at the thought of sharing hugs with strangers, don’t feel bad, said Arie Lipka, an instructor at the school who also was out giving hugs, while rocking orange and purple hair. Most people are a little wary on first approach, she said. But when they give in, they see that it was all worthwhile.
