Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Word Up Wednesday - The Freel

This is a term that I've been using for at least 7 years. The "freel" is something that happens to all of us, whether we are the giver or receiver. It's a free feel. An awkward or inappropriate touch that bears no consequence due to its innocent (and oftentimes ignorant) nature. A brush of the hand across the body's, ummm... shall we say... private zones.

Here are a few examples:

- My husband and I went to a wedding in Colorado one summer. He didn't know many of my girlfriends there, so he tended to stay around the outside of the circle that we sorority girls are so prone to make when reunited. He lingered near enough to me that he was present, but wasn't one to dive right into girl talk and chum it up with the ladies. So I was engaged in catching up with the gals, when my friend April's eyes bugged out. She grabbed my wrist and whispered fiercely, "Alecia! I think he thinks I'm you!" I didn't know exactly what she was talking about, but then I looked over her shoulder and saw the reason for her alarm. Jerrod, eyes glued to his smartphone, had floated a bit beyond where I was standing and while one hand was holding the phone, the other was squeezing the wrong gal's butt. I got his attention, saved her from his clutches, he blushed and apologized, but we all had a great laugh about it - the whole gang thought it was a riot! You see, my husband grabbed another woman's tush and wasn't punished for it. A freel for the history books.

- Since having a baby, everybody that wants to hold the little guy is sure to get a freel across my chest as I pass him off. They either come in too far out of fear that they may drop the babe, or come in too fast because they can't wait to get their paws on him. Either way, between the breastfeeding and the baby grabbers, my chest is hardly private enough to be considered a private zone anymore, but these touches are freels nonetheless.

- At a basketball game last year, we ran into a woman I used to work with. I was so happy to see her and her family! We hugged, caught up on life, and then I got my camera out and started snapping photos. The whole encounter took about 10 minutes and I was so happy to have run into her. But as we settled back into our seats, Jerrod said to me, "She just got a freel." I laughed him off but he said, "I'm serious! Give me the camera." I had been right there, this woman would never do that, and I had seen nothing inappropriate; but a determined Jerrod clicked through the pictures until he stopped at one of her hand clearly groping his pectoral region. "See? A freel," he said. And although I had never judged that area of a guy to be a private zone (maybe it's society, maybe too many pics of topless dudes on magazine covers and birthday cards has desensitized me), I had to admit that she had, indeed, gotten a mighty freel.

So do tell. Comment below. Have you been the giver or receiver of any noteworthy freels? And how did it feel?

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Jerrod.....used the ole eyes glued to the smartphone trick huh? Did you learn that from Nero?

Unknown said...

this is funny but why would anyone want a to freel jerrod. he is built like a wet noodle.

Becky B said...

i am so thankful to have a term for this "violation" that is sometimes a little welcome--TMI? sorry!

lisa said...

The freel sounds like my worst nightmare...of which I know I've had a few encounters, but out of mortification have banished all of them from memory.

Alecia Whitaker said...

These comments have me rolling!