Sabina, here, Swift Kick’s Community Manager and Hugging enthusiast.
This is a true story.
Last Wednesday, September 25th, I was heading to Grand Central from a work event I had been running social media for. I realized that it was 9:30 at night and I had yet to eat a real dinner. I remembered that I had only a handful of coins by way of cash in my wallet, so I started wishing to see a dollar pizza place.
I found a hot dog stand, so I stopped and asked the vendor how much a hot dog was. Apparently, hot dogs are $2 these days. I waved my hand and said, “Oh I don’t have that, never mind, thank you!” and started to leave.
He yelled at me to come back, and when I turned around, he asked how much I did have. He was already making my hot dog. I told him only a few coins, and I started to rummage around my wallet to try and get up to $2. He started to make small talk: where are you from, what’s your name?
Finally, I am still counting coins, and he comes around the front of the cart and hands me the hot dog, taking whatever coins are in my hand, without counting at all.
He says, “Here Sabina, I just want a free hug in payment for the rest.”
He hugged me (I promise, it wasn’t a violating or creepy hug, just a hug like we do here at Swift Kick for Free Hugs day). Then he said goodbye to me and let me on my way, with my miracle dinner.
On the train, I was so happy from my experience, I called my brother to tell him the story. After I got off the phone, I made eye contact with the businessman sitting behind me. He said, “Was that the best hot dog you ever tasted in your life?” He had overheard my story on the phone.
He then proceeded to tell me, if I understood correctly, that when he was starving on the streets, one day a man with a box of pizza and plates walked around offering food to people. He shook his head and said something about how odd these things are.
I looked at him and said, “People are good.”
I was not wearing anything that said “Free Hugs” that day. The hug wasn’t my idea. That hot dog vendor did that on his own, and it was awesome. People are good, and if you open your heart up to people, you’ll be amazed by what happens.
