4/30/15 Touch This?

    Touch is one of our five senses.  We need it to communicate with the world as much as we need our sight, hearing, taste and smell.  It is a weird sense in that we are always encouraged to taste different foods, go to different places so you can see different things and eat different foods, but then when it comes to touching, we are kind of discouraged from using it as much.
    As babies, we are supposed to be touched, studies have been done in orphanages with babies that were held and touched and babies that were not and those that were held and touched grow up to be much more productive people.  As soon as we become conscious though of what we are touching, we are then kicked into a world of Do Not Touch.  Do not touch the hot fire, do not touch the electric wires, do not touch the ass of that hot chick bent over just so.
    I think too much is made of the Do Not Touch your coworker in the work environment, I guess the rules exist because at some point, somebody went too far, but I believe things work themselves out.  I have been with the same group going on 19+ years.  It is very normal to get a hug from one of the ladies there, I guess we are a family of sorts.  Even with the guys, we joke around a lot and we routinely push each other or "fake" box landing punches not to hurt but I believe as part of being human and needing that connection specially since we are here twelve hours at a time.
    Chubs at home needs to be hugged, even just driving from school or to lunch, if I put my hand on his chair and graze his hair, he will push his head up, like a cat, looking for that rub on the head.  Wife and I greet each other with a kiss and I do a boob grab 90% of the time.  Boy has always been the little robot that could, but if he needs a hug he will just come and drop on any one of us, even Chubs and demand to be hugged.  He is all bony, but we know what he needs.  And then of course Girlie, who's folks left for the other side of the country.  She comes and visits once a week or so and I feel she always needs a hug, being that she is alone here now. 
    I have come a long way, my family was never touchy-feely.  Wife has made me much more comfortable hugging people, but enough of that, come here let me smell you, sniffffff!!!!!  :)