What a Difference a Hug Makes

The Free Hugs campaign video has been an inspiration for me for quite some time. Whenever I have interacted in the forums I often would pass the video on to others. Juan Mann did a great thing giving out his free hugs. Hugs are healthy, and good. Hugs are necessary for our well being.

In my prior hub I said it would be two or three hubs and I was right. I am a writer first and a researcher second. When I see a problem I have to tell you, but when I see something good, well I have to tell you that too.

In my Hugs with Lions research, I found some amazing hugs in the news. You may or may not have heard about these hugs, but here's what happened.

My son sent me a video of a woman being mauled by a lion. But she wasn't mauled, the lion was hugging her! She had rescued this lion about 6 years ago, and he loves her so much he hugs her.

We all know how powerful a hug can be, but the lion had been raised in captivity, and had been abused and neglected. This would tend to make any animal mean, aggressive, or even withdrawn. Animals who are abused and neglected are often nervous. Of course it is a lion, but it hugs her because it loves her. It knows she is good and kind. The lion is grateful.

The image below is one that should never be forgotten, and I have copied from this site, the image of the infamous rescue hug between infant twins.

Two college students from Auburn University, Michael Wekall and Ryan Leander got together and made some YouTube videos, and a web site dedicated to getting a hug from Taylor Swift. The Internet being what it is, it wasn't long before Taylor Swift found out.

Now if you sent her a letter, odds are she wouldn't get a chance to read it, but start a web site and make some videos, that is a different story.

The challenge was on. Now Taylor had thrown down the gauntlet, if you want a hug, how far will you go for that hug?

Not to be outdone, the students of Auburn University and many fans on the Internet started walking old ladies across the street. Is it politically correct to call them little old ladies? I guess when there is a hug with Taylor Swift at stake, we don't worry so much about the semantics.

So Taylor watches the videos as these guys go above and beyond the call of duty to make her happy.

Challenge number two? Find creative ways to use the number 13, Taylor's favorite number. Now is when it starts to get even better. Please watch the video. I don't want to spoil anything by writing it out here.

In the next video Taylor Swift is beaming. These guys have gone beyond her wildest dreams of how you could use the number 13. Not only this but more and more fans have gotten in on the challenge.

Videos are pouring in on YouTube. The radio stations and television stations have picked up on this too. In a couple of short months they have connected with Taylor Swift and are now having conversations with her through video, on YouTube.

Let's take a step back and imagine that it is twenty years ago. This would not have been possible. In 1990 YouTube and on line video was not even a twinkle in anybody's eye. Oh we had seen the sci-fi movies and The Jetsons. They had video phones... Think about how far technology has come!

Born on December 13th, 1989, the technology for this meeting has been wrought in Taylor Swift's own lifetime. Heck, in 1989 we didn't even have PCs yet, the term itself is relatively new. AOL was not even Called AOL yet, it just became America On Line in October of '89, a couple of months before Taylor was born. Putting all of this into perspective, the term Personal Computer wasn't even being used yet, when Taylor Swift was born.

These young men started their quest for a hug from Taylor Swift in the end of January, and by the end of March they were in frequent communication with her. Two months. Amazing.

They awaited the e-mail. Monday, April 26th at 12:30 central time. When it came in they were instructed to have a karaoke party in her honor at the Hotel at Auburn University Auditorium. The end result may be the biggest Taylor Swift Karaoke sing-a-long on record, perhaps the biggest karaoke sing-a-long on record of any kind.

Again, you can do anything you set your mind to. In this day and age, in spite of the war on politics, the poverty level, the economy and the oil spill. In spite of earth quakes, floods, hurricanes and volcanoes; people still dream, and they still make their dreams come true.

You can view the better quality video on Vimeo, by clicking here.

People help make other peoples dreams come true also. Whose dream can you help along the way? That is up to you. Who do you want to hug? That is up to you too. Apparently, as I have said before, it isn't about what you want to do, it's about doing it.

If you build it, they will come. Dream your dream. Make it come true. Write to me so I can write about you. 

My dream, it's proving to you that you can change the world, you just have to start with you.

Hugs! Faye Constantino, aka Faybe Bay, on Hub Pages.

Open invitation: Of course you will have too commit to help others as well.

If you would like to earn $2000 to $5000 in residual income per month within the next year, please contact me.

If you need help with something else, like coping, or writing, please feel free to contact me as well. Just click on the Contact Faybe Bay link on the right.

Have a Great Day, and please, leave a comment or rate my hubs if you like them. Thanks!