A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....06-22-04....The Fine Art of Waving

Billie

[Billie]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

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A custom of the country: Is it merely a polite gesture?
By Jo'el Freeman

M y husband will wave to anyone. He attributes this tendency to a span of time he spent on a small island off the coast of Rhode Island. There, the only people that didn't wave to you in passing were tourists - and you certainly didn't want to be accused of being one of those. Besides, he feels that waving is an act of goodwill and that even the grumpiest person will feel a little better after being greeted by a hearty wave.

That's why, when we moved from a house in the woods to a house on a main road, we continued our custom of waving whenever a familiar car drove by. A sense of neighborliness required us to do so.

My husband and I take turns standing in front of our house with our second grader as she waits for the school bus. Every day, the same people drive by on their way to work or school. There is the small pink vehicle we call the Barbie car, for example, and the c. 1970s van covered with gray patches of body filler that we refer to as the Hippiemobile. Some drivers give us a big smile and wave like we've known one another all our lives. Others start out tentatively, moving their hand only slightly so that if we don't wave back they can pretend they were only fixing their hair or scratching their forehead.

I understand their hesitation. Unlike my spouse, I can't bring myself to wave to everyone. Once, while we were on one of our exploring jaunts, we found an appealing back road that turned out to be a good shortcut to a lake. We had to slow down considerably to negotiate a sharp curve. Just beyond the bend, we were surprised by an elderly woman sitting in a green lawn chair situated directly on the side of the road. As we passed her, she waved. It turns out she sits there every day and waves to every car that happens to gy by. I have always felt she must be a little eccentric or lonely. But this is reading a lot into the situation, because she looks very contented. Anyway, a part of me fears that people will think I am eccentric if I start waving to every car that goes by our house. After all, I am home a great deal more than my husband is!

You probably would be surprised, though, to discover how many people wave to us first now. Some people accompany the gesture with a toot of their horn, which is the heartiest kind of wave. Friends from town that come to visit us and relax with us on our front porch soon find themselves automatically raising their hand in salute to passersby. I always tell these congenial guests that they have just learned the fine art of waving.

Yesterday I went to the post office. In the lobby, standing in front of me in line, was a man I have waved to almost daily for the past four years. He heard my toddler babbling behind him and turned around to look.

"How you all doing? Boy, this one sure is getting big!" he said to me, smiling at my child.

"She surely is! I have to watch her every minute," I replied.

"I'll bet. Hey, that new deck looks great!"

"Thanks - we love it."

"Well, have a great day - nice seeing you."

"You, too! Bye-bye."

The funny thing is, we had never met before.

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 06-21-04 Military Monday

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[Billie]

Good afternoon, Meekie - thanks for the 'wave'!

[Billie]

Good afternoon, Aeronaut. Did I see those wings dip as you flew over, waving hello? :)

[Billie]

Afternoon, Rus, and thank you for our daily sustenance. :)

[Billie]

:) Just keep on 'greeting' us, weinie - we love the sound of your barking. :)

[Darksheare]

LOL!
Storm fizzled back to rain.

[Billie]

Thank you for coming by, Darks - hope the storm has passed right on through now. "Ya'll come back now." :)

[Billie]

Hi there, Texagirl - waving really is a friendly gesture, isn't it? :)

[Aeronaut]

Did I see those wings dip as you flew over, waving hello? :)

Sure did!

[Billie]

Waving hello and blowing a little kiss at little Emma and her Grammy. :)

[Billie]

Thank you, Maggie, for your adorable pictures and comments and for keeping the thread warm today. :)

[Billie]

Going to town, I'll be sure to wave at everyone...except the construction workers. lol

LOL! Just whistle at them instead. :)

[GailA]

Good afternoon, it's started off sunny here in Memphis, then a T storm moved in. Had quilting meeting today.

[Billie]

Billie, who can blame you? If I was responsible for such an error-plagued presentation, I'd stay away also. :-)

Oh, T Man! If I didn't leave at least one typo in the thread, how would I ever know if you read it or not? :)

[Billie]

Nothing like a friendly sky. :)

[Darksheare]

Currently 69 degrees, light breeze from the northeast, light drizzle, ceiling roughly 4000 feet.

T-storms fizzled to rain aftera bit, but I was OTR at the time (on the road).

[Billie]

Hi, Gail. We're having such nice, cool weather today - after several days of 100 degrees, 85 feels great! :)

[MeekOneGOP]

Afternoon, Billie ! :^D

[LadyX]

It's a fun topic, Miss Billie, and not-so-amazingly, Google Provides..:))

Wait - - what do I hear??
I do believe it is a calling me to take a nap!!

Sorry - I'm outta here for a while - -

[Billie]

Currently 69 degrees, light breeze from the northeast, light drizzle...

Sounds nice! I think 70 degree weather - year-round - would be great!

[Billie]

It's a fun topic, Miss Billie......

Well, I do appreciate your posts - I had hopes of being here more today since I'm 'the hostess' but sometimes we get pulled in other directions, don't we.

Thank you again, and enjoy your nap - you've earned it. :)