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August 2005
The Wave
Dear Friends,
Whenever we travel outside our area – just for fun – I often wave at folks we meet driving down the road, just as if I was driving to town here at home. It drives my wife nuts, but I’ve noticed that once in a great while, someone will wave back.
Most of the time, the person who occasionally returns the ritual "steering wheel wave" is driving a pickup, wearing a farmer’s cap and probably headed to the field or pasture.
Maybe it’s a cultural thing with farmers. It puzzles visiting friends who ride with us to town that we would wave at everybody we meet on the road. I suppose the reasoning is difficult for many to understand.
Around here, we know about half of the drivers we might meet on the road as our neighbors, so it’s only neighborly to bid them the day. Once we start waving at other drivers on a daily basis, it becomes a force of friendly habit. And it drives travelers crazy if you wave at them, because many probably spend the next few minutes wondering how you know them.
I’m sure psychologists would enjoy analyzing the different types of waves employed on the road. There is of course the index finger on the steering wheel wave that I’m most comfortable with. But I’ve seen others wave by raising all of their fingers, while leaving their thumb on the steering wheel.
Some drivers acknowledge others by a simple head nod. Then there are drivers who might hold the steering wheel of the vehicle with one hand and use their other hand merely to wave at other drivers. You begin to worry however, if they are waving at you with both hands while driving. But that’s probably no worse than those who have a cell phone on their shoulder and wave at other drivers while taking a phone call and eating lunch at the same time on the road.
I’m glad that our country roads are so friendly. Our version of road rage is honking at a cow standing in the middle of the road. It’s kind of refreshing to see neighbors visiting with each other in their pickups parked beside each other on a lonely gravel road – as long as they aren’t a hazard to other traffic going home at chore time.
Here in rural America, we have come a long way. We have most of the technology of our urban friends, but our way of life – although hectic and imperfect – still allows us the simple pleasure of giving our neighbors a friendly wave on the road without incurring a funny look. In fact, if you don’t wave, people wonder if you’re having a bad day.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
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