When I travel on business, there’s a lot of hugs.
“But H2, I thought you autistic folk didn’t like hugs!”
Some do, some don’t!
I know they’re going to happen, I plan well, I’ve mastered my distance, steps, duration, high-low-you-name it.
It’s part of meeting and greeting and I roll with it!
This past visit, I’ll share the encapsulation of the experience.
Across from me were three of my primary customers who I saw for the first time in person. As they came in line, I realized what was up.
This is going to be a conga line of HUGS.
YES.
I’m two folks in, and the third fellow asks “Wait, who is this and why are we hugging him?”
“Oh!” they exclaimed, “it’s H2!”
*SQUEE* MORE HUGS
To some of you, this is normal and 100% unremarkable.
To others, this may be a terror, in which your space feels violated and senses assaulted.
The Life Autistic is a spectrum, a complicated one, where even the simplest embraces might not be so simple.
I wish I could say I worked my way up from crippling anxiety here, but it was more just overcoming awkwardness step by step, hug by hug, embracing the embrace.
Of course, it’s easy when the hugs just go around.
Just don’t ask me what to do when a non-greeting situation calls for a hug, because I’m still figuring that one out! I’ll take tips, please and thank you. ^_^
The Life Autistic 
Its strange. I am Autistic and I like hugging and sometimes its fine other times its awkward for others