Dear Abby: Non-hugger seeks polite way to keep others at arm’s length

Dear Abby: I am not a hugger. In fact, I pretty much always hate it. But people think I’m rude when I don’t open my arms to hug after they’ve opened theirs. And they also think I’m rude when I tell them I’m not really a hugger. It happens with friends, fellow church congregants and audience members (I’m an entertainer) all the time. Although I let the hugs happen, I’m usually holding my breath the whole time. Once I’ve “Hey girl’d” someone and offered my warmest smile, what more can I do? I don’t want people I like to think I don’t like them, or I’m not happy to see them. But I’m fed up with faking it and participating in this ritual that makes me so uncomfortable.