Common Country Courtesy

My Monday was incredibly uneventful. Errands and meetings in one town followed by errands and meetings in another town and in between a lot of time spent on the road. In my travels around our tiny piece of rural America I pass many folks on the road who may not know me and I may not know them, but we abide by the common country courtesy of the wave.

Waves are as diverse as the people delivering them. I passed a truck driver today who gave me jazz hands. You know the kind where all five fingers are wiggling sporadically. I passed my dad who gives the Native American wave of “How”. You know the one seen in old movies. The tribal chief greets visitors to his camp by holding up his hand, all five fingers together. I use this to signal “stop” to My Farmer when helping to park equipment in the shed.

There’s the windshield wiper wave – index finger only swishing back and forth, back and forth. And there’s the one finger wave, which can indicate something other than hello.

I wave with my index finger. I drive with my left hand resting comfortably on top of the wheel and will raise only my index finger in greeting to passing drivers.

Regardless of how you wave, it is an important piece of country living. It symbolizes our unity as neighbors, as people who may live different lives, go different ways and believe different things but are joined by our country and our community.

When driving in your piece of America tomorrow, extend a hello via a wave. It’s guaranteed to make someone’s day.

Read more 30 Day blogs starting with My Generation. And follow more of my 30 Days of the Not So Glamorous Life of this Farm Wife: