Two hours of epicness can’t even compare to the rest of my week’s excitement even if it were compounded. I decided to take a sign, write “free shrugs” on it, and go walk all over downtown Madison and campus.
The responses I got were incredible and worth sharing:
1 person asked if I read Reddit … I shrugged
5 people (4 homeless and 1 foreign) asked me what a “shrug” was
400+ is the number of times I shrugged, to say I got my workout in for the day is an understatement
3 is the number of groups of girls that I first held the sign up to that said “free shrugs,” then pointed to them and flipped the sign over where I had written “free hugs”
3 people flat-out stared at me and had no response
150+ people smiled and laughed
50+ completely ignored me and desperately avoided making eye contact
100+ people shrugged back
1 person I caught taking a picture of me
2 is the number of people I sat next to who had about 13 other signs indicative that they were protesting at the Capitol. I joined them and might have thrown off the whole bashful mood they set.
9 restaurant goers had me creeping up to the glass and knocking on it to get their attention
It was incredible how so many people were trying to sneak a glance at what my sign said instead of just reading it, and how so many people after sneaking that glance, tried so hard to hold in their laughs and act like they didn’t see a thing. Why do they feel so uncomfortable reading a sign someone is holding or making eye contact? A lot of people missed out on a free laugh today, but let’s not forget how many didn’t.
Stay Positive & Suggestions For What To Do Next?
Garth E. Beyer
