Thursday, April 26, 2012

Free High Fives


So I’m stopped at a light on Pacific Coast Highway yesterday when I notice a guy by the side of the road holding a cardboard sign that reads:

FREE HIGH FIVES

Free high fives? Why didn’t I think of that?

I’d guesstimate that he was in his mid-20s. Total hipster. Glasses. Skinny jeans. He didn’t seem high on drugs or Jesus. He didn’t look all fuck my life. I think he genuinely just wanted to spread a little affirmation to the world around him.

And man, did people want it.

The guy was stopping traffic. People were blasting their car horns while drivers screeched to a stop so passengers could lean out of their windows for a high five. A skater passing by on the sidewalk got a high five. A mom walking with a double stroller got a double high five. The homeless guy got a high five so enthusiastic that he almost spilled his coffee. (Could’ve been vodka, not sure.)

Watching all these people getting their high fives made me kind of bummed that I was on the other side of the street, driving too far in the wrong direction to get a high five of my own.

I mean I really could’ve used a high five this week. It’s been kind of a crappy week. And high fives are pretty fucking awesome. Okay, sometimes they can make you look like a total assclown but, for the most part, giving or getting a high five makes you feel good.

I so should’ve made a U-Turn.

Because even though high fives are always free, someone isn’t always giving them out. My mom once told me that you should take the cookies when they’re passed so to that end, you need to take your high five when the random dude with the cardboard sign on PCH is holding his hand up, waiting for you to slap it. Don’t leave him hanging!

High fives, people.

High fucking fives.



© Copyright 2012  Marisa Reichardt. All Rights Reserved

9 comments:

  1. This is my fave to date. Thank you for a little piece of awesome today...high five

    ReplyDelete
  2. A double high five to you, Marisa! Thoroughly enjoyed reading this!

    ReplyDelete
  3. LOVE it and I so would have slowed down for one. Here you go: http://www.virtualhigh5.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OK, that's awesome. I really did slap my screen just now. Thank you!

      Delete
  4. Love it! Made me miss my old coworkers cuz we used to High5 each other every time we met coming around the corner...

    ReplyDelete
  5. I agree! There is too much to be unhappy about it this world to not take happiness when it's right there in front of you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. *High Five*

    For whatever reason, I imagine the guy giving out free high fives as Todd from Scrubs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nikki, I have this weird thing where I can't handle watching shows/movies, etc. set in hospitals without getting the heebie jeebies (I'll have to write about it sometime) so I had to look up who Todd was. I totally should've used his picture in this article. That is too funny.

      Delete