Goodbyes?

October 26th, 2024| Topic: RaMbLeS | 0

How long should a goodbye last? Is there any rule on this?

Now there is. In the airport at Dunedin, at the bottom of New Zealand’s South Island.

So how long is too long to hug? Anything over 180 seconds, saith the authorities.

The airport’s chief executive, Dan De Bono, declared that three minutes was ample time to activate the happy hormones generated by a good hug.

He added:

To prove the point, I timed myself earlier that day, going the full quota in front of an audience of airport staff. The hug became a little awkward after 20 seconds, and I resisted the urge to pull away: I’m not a big hugger. Twenty seconds tops for me.”

Dunedin, with its stone castle and frigid climate, is colloquially known as the Edinburgh of the south. But unlike folks supposedly are in their Scottish namesake city, the citizens of this NZ metropolis are less resistant to physical displays of affection, and offer a warm southern welcome to visitors taking in the country’s natural beauty. But, in the airport, only for 3 minutes!

That airport, servicing a university town of some 135,000 people, attracts fewer than 1 million passengers annually—no match for Los Angeles International (66 million) or John F. Kennedy International (62 million). But traffic can still pile up at peak times, confessed De Bono. Airport staff hatched the hug-limit plan as a fun way to reinforce safety in the drop-off zone—avoiding dangerous maneuvers as people grew frustrated with traffic jams.

The story went viral last month in world media. There have been negative reactions, but that has softened considerably. One social media user even commented:

You get 3 minutes to hug?? In America, they don’t even want you to stop. Just come to a slow roll and push your passenger out. I’m serious.”

Another noted that in the United Kingdom, some airports levy large fines for stopping even briefly in the drop-off area.

De Bono said Dunedin Airport has no plans to strictly enforce the time limit, although he joked about deploying “hug police” with their minute-timers out to “hold people to account.”

Said that worthy:

For those needing longer embraces, there is always the car park. A sign in the drop zone informs visitors to use that for fonder farewells. And to be clear, hugs are uncapped inside the terminal—as long as you want!”

De Bono admits that three minutes is not the world’s most generous hug limit. Nice airport in France has a five minute “Kiss and Fly” park which, he said, was “typical of the French.”

But I like this goodbye the best, one from the apostle Paul:

For I myself am already being poured out as an offering,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have fought the good fight, I have completed the course, I have kept the faith;
in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day;
and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
2 Timothy 4:6–8

Amen! May he appear soon.

And of these verses the Church Father, Chrysostom (347–407), exclaimed:

‘The good fight’! There is no worthier than this contest. The crown is without end. This is not of olive trees. It has not a human umpire. It has not men for spectators. The theater is crowded with Angels.”

Yup. Rewards. Coming soon.

Until then, here’s a hug for you (under 180 seconds)!

SOURCE: Washington Post