Saturday 3 July 1999

Besides going online and growing the occasional wart, I've noticed that at least one other thing has changed in my life: When I was 20, I hated and feared hugs. When I was 30, I accepted them. Now, I like them. (Somewhat depending on the person, though.) If I reach the awe-inspiring age of 50, I'll probably be desperate for hugs. I may have my own overfed pet poodle to squeeze. A disturbing thought!

I'm not the most huggable person in the flesh, because of the almost constant stubble. My beard, like my hair and nails, grows with astounding speed. Now luck, Fate, God or Evolution has provided me with beard that has practically the same color as my skin. So normally I can get away with shaving only every other day without being arrested for my criminal looks. But for hugging purposes, I would need to shave twice a day, even with the modern 3-blade razor. Otherwise there is a noticeable porcupine effect. I notice that there is a marked tendency among married Itlands to put on a beard. That's one solution, of course. (I don't know how much they are actually hugging, but they ought to.)

Personally I don't meet this problem very often, and furthermore I don't want to look like a socialist. (There is a tradition at least in this country for radical socialists to cover their face in hair, which I can certainly understand.) Furthermore, I think that my current look with small stripes of fur is sending the right signal: That I have an animal side, but keep it in tight reins. Otherwise things could get really hairy.

When I was a kid, I rarely if ever saw young girls hug each other in public. Now, they do it all the time when they meet someone they know in the street or anywhere. Of course, when I was a kid, piercings and tattoos were also curious customs of primitive jungle tribes that had not yet heard of Jesus and Coca Cola. In retrospect, it is evident that Coca Cola doesn't make much of a difference.

Got a surprise visit from my pious friend Magne this evening. He is going to visit Brunstad tomorrow, for the day only, and asked if I wanted too. I respectfully declined.