CHEVY CHASE, Md. — What is the first thing you're going to do when the stay-at-home order is lifted? Go to church? Go out to eat? Go to the gym?
Well Frank Donovan, a retired foreign service officer, wrote a song about the first thing he’s going to do when the stay at home order is lifted.
HUGS!
"I was just thinking, there are a lot of people who can’t hug their loved ones and are trying to do it virtually," Donovan said.
So Frank Donovan created a song to showcase all of the creative ways that people are connecting right now:
"I’m gonna hug you with an Instagram. I’m gonna hug you with a text. I’m gonna hug you, with a zoom zoom zoom. I’m gonna hug a big t-rex."
Donovan worked as a foreign service officer for more than 30 years. He says, outside of his wife and kids, he’s never been a big hugger.
Frank Donovan's family
"Being a guy," said Donovan, "guys don’t hug that much in general" (Author's note: Boo to that!)
But like many of us in quarantine, when you’re told you can’t do something, you immediately start missing it.
"I’m gonna hug you on the metro, I’m gonna hug you on a fire truck. Yeah, I’m gonna hug you on a bicycle, I’m gonna hug you with a duck."
Donovan believes that when this is all over "these people are going to hug like crazy."
Donovan says he wrote a few songs when he was younger, but, before he came up with the idea for this song, he hadn’t written one in years.
"I was just kind of overwhelmed with this feeling and felt, hey, I have to write this," he said.
"I’m gonna hug you tight on Skype. I’m gonna hug you with an emoji, I’m gonna hug you with a swipe."
He hopes that when the quarantine is over, people don’t forget to take time to hug the people they love.
"I’m gonna hug you on the ocean, I’m gonna hug you on the sea, I’m gonna hug you on a sailing boat and then we’ll have some tea."
WUSA9 asked Donovan what he hopes people feel when they hear his song.
"That they can relate to it," he said, "And, also that there’s some hope around the corner."
When this is all over, Donovan says he’s definitely going to be more of a hugger.
"And when this is all over, you can count on me to do my part. I’ll jump for joy and yell oh boy and hug you in my heart."
But right now he just wants everyone to hold off on the hugs and stay safe.
"Yeah – you know, you are so huggable, but for now put hugs on hold. Let’s fight the fight and not hug, so we can all grow old."