A
recent run of rainy days forced me to adjust my daily routine.
I generally like to use a dirt road near the house to access paths,
trails and even some quieter neighborhoods when I head out on
walks. It’s really a great all-purpose stretch, with no regular
traffic and yet it serves as a gateway to a bit of everything.
Any time I want a different view along the route, I just have
to take a different turn within the first half mile.
This
on and off series of downpours not only turned the road to mud,
but to the kind of mud that requires boots, finds you sinking
about two inches into the muck, and pretty much refuses to make
any steps easy since it doesn’t want to let go of your boots.
If you’re looking to get out for a bit, you wind up looking for
some steadier alternatives. Like a paved road.
So,
I set out walking along the regular roadways near my home, and
I have some peculiarities in how I try to approach the efforts.
While I have zero clue what the drivers are thinking, I like to
express my appreciation when they slide their cars over a bit
to give me some space for safety. That means I wave. Sometimes
a smile and a head nod as well. Maybe I add in a thank you as
well (as if they can hear me). I hope they understand I’m grateful,
but I’m also good if they just believe I’m being friendly.
The
friendly concept does have some merit. Just in the past week,
I’ve said hello to several homeowners that I’ve never previously
met in years of living in the area. Also noticed a few cars that
have passed me pretty much every day during whatever activities
and routines they are being utilized for, and those drivers are
waving all the time.
The
little twist to all of this that really strikes me is that I really
don’t know any of these people. But I wave, they wave, and everyone
smiles. Despite the news, apparently a bit of humanity and courtesy
remains in society after all.
Because
I seem to get far more waves than not, today I decided to do some
counting. Just a probably means nothing but why not data gathering,
more to pass some of the time during the walk than anything else.
Out of twenty-two cars that made a bit of room and received a
wave from me, seventeen drivers waved back. Not only is that a
pretty good rate, it also seems to match up pretty well with what
I’ve seen on other days, where the vast majority nod and politely
react.
Ready
for a funny little quirk I don’t know what to do with?
I
was passed by three Teslas today. Not one of the drivers waved
to me.
I
noticed it as a bit of a fluke. Saw the first Tesla approaching,
slide slightly over to give me an extra foot or two, and I waved.
Since a Tesla isn’t rare but also isn’t exactly a regular sight
around my neighborhood, the brand registered with me and it connected
that the driver didn’t wave back. About five minutes later, another
Tesla and another no wave returned.
Now,
in fairness, I don’t know exactly how to view those results. After
all, one Tesla drives by me tomorrow with a waving driver, suddenly
the numbers are beginning to shift and balance restores a bit.
And perhaps it isn’t just Tesla. There were two others that didn’t
wave today. Maybe I get low numbers on other days from another
brand of car as well.
Maybe.
But
then, perhaps ten minutes later, a third Tesla was approached.
I waved. The driver didn’t. And somehow, that just feels significant
to me. Tesla drivers don’t wave. Wildly unscientific. But, they
don’t. (That said, perhaps we can explore it in another essay
if the trend continues.)
To
me, for today and for the past week or so, the bigger result is
how many people are waving. Those seventeen out of twenty-two
numbers reflect better than seventy-five percent. That’s quite
the approval rating. I honestly don’t know if I get a thank you
from seventy-five percent of people when I hold doors open.
These
are people that I’m pretty sure I’ve never met before. Might have
seen them on other occasions in some fashion, but no introductions
or conversations. And, I get similar kindness from other walkers,
bicyclists, and folks out in their yards. A smile, a wave, and
often some type of greeting.
It’s
encouraging to find that there is a baseline of openness and,
dare I say, fun still to be found from strangers. No one is yelling
at me to get off their lawn. I’ve put miles and miles behind me,
and no one has honked or waved fists in anger at the pedestrian.
The worst has just been indifference, and not that much indifference
at that. Heck, on one day when I misjudged the timing of some
approaching rain and was out in it for the last three hundred
yards or so, someone actually slowed down and offered me a ride.
Somewhere
down the line, I may notice a trend develop that shows the friendliest
of all vehicle brand owners. May not, but it could happen. There
is plenty to observe on the walks, especially when I forget to
bring along some music or such. Might need to be careful though,
as I could also easily find myself pulled aside into longer introductions
and conversations. It’s nice to nod and wave, but I don’t know
if I’m ready for an invitation to help out with some home project.
For
now though, it just feels nice. I’m a part of the community. Probably
the much talked about idiot that walks in the rain part of the
community, but it still feels good. Amazing how a kind gesture
can brighten a gloomy sky.