Man on the street interview re: hugging

Oh, by the way, I was interviewed today for one of those 'man on the street' breakfast news segments (to be shown tomorrow, no doubt, as it was already 12 noon). A pretty, perky red-head 20-something woman, surely a recent graduate from Ryerson University's so-called 'school of journalism', hailed me and asked if I had been hugged today.

Reporter: Excuse me sir, can I ask you a question? Recent studies have shown that people over the age of 40....

Me: Well that's me...

Reporter: Really! You're over 40?! [A sly one, she is.] Well recent studies show that 40+ folks are not being hugged regularly.

Me(simultaneously): Yep [grinning with pride, while acknowledging that my "Dublin" Winter hat is hiding my gray. Do I really still look under 40, I ask myself? Maybe she'd like to go for a pint....hmmmm....no, no, no, be serious....]

Reporter:So have you been hugged recently?

Me: Yes. I awoke this morning to a hug; and I fell asleep last night in a sort of hug.

Reporter: [With a skeptical Sex & the City twinkle in her eye -- Can yuppies really find hugs & lasting love in urbutopia? Surely this old guy isn't being hugged for real, is he?]
Really? You were hugged this morning?

Me: [Quickly realizing that I need an 'exit strategy', as well as a good one liner in order to actually make the breakfast news -- I fail at both.] Actually, (screwing my eyes up as I access my middle-aged memory) I was hugged just about an hour ago.... Twice! [It's true, I left to run an errand an hour ago, and of course, my daughter hugged and kissed me goodbye, and then I gave a hug, well, actually a hug-kick to our overweight cat (32 lbs. and counting) who was sleeping in my Navy wool jacket.]

Reporter:So you have been hugged recently? And what does 'a hug' mean to you?

Me: [Summing up all of my razor sharp, lightning fast wit, I answer succintly.] Love.

Reporter: [Looking more skeptical and disappointed than ever, returning her mike to her pretty little urban reporter-mouth.] So a hug means love?

Me: [Witty as ever, and grinning at the camera, confidently knowing it can't record my hidden gray hair.] Yep.

Reporter: Well thank you for giving us your time.

Now there is a whole lotta hugging going on (in my life anyway), hugging that means l-o-v-e; but it precisely does not mean, eg, a gay-authored-sex&the-city-type-loving&hugging. But surely it still means love? Am I just old-fashioned, or has the world fallen for 2 forms of hugging -- High-School/Hollywood-type hugging everytime you want to emote and emotionally masturbate; and fornication-type hugging, everytime you get a bit horny? Oh, and we'll allow for a hug-your-granny photo-op too.I hug often, and I hug with love, and I sometimes hug with the hope of co-creating a new human being -- but surely the word love & the act of hugging entail more than mere sentimentality or gross lust.