The Wonder of Waving

The Wonder of Waving by debgrant

I have noticed the gesture of waving as I have moved from pedestrian to passenger to motorist.

• Growing up, I walked or rode my bike three blocks to my elementary school and home again. I rarely encountered anyone on the way. There was, however, an elderly couple who sat on a front porch swing and always smiled and waved silently as I passed. I learned that I like waving back.

• In college, I didn’t own a car so rode a bus on visits home. Sitting behind the driver, I noticed him as he pressed his open hand against the tinted glass of windshield. At first, I didn’t know why. Then I noticed that it happened when we passed another bus traveling in the opposite direction. I started looking for a palm pressing into a passing windshield. Even though I couldn’t see the face, it felt…human, gentle, and friendly.

• As a motorist at various times in my life, I owned a truck, a Jeep, and a Miata—the owners of each one created a moving automotive community of similar vehicles. We acknowledged one another through the gesture of a unique wave—a few fingers or just two. One-finger waves could be friendly as long as it was the index finger—never, never the middle one.

• As I still cling to my pedestrian routes, I have seen fewer waves as walkers often talk on their phones or are focused on whatever is speaking or singing to them through earbuds.

• I did notice that now that I have a dog to walk other dog walkers will wave at me. My dog is only slowly learning to be as polite. But I do so love the gentle gesture a human hand can extend as we move through our days. It may be a small bridge over these troubled waters of our lives together, but it is worth the wonder and the practice.

Peace,

debgrant