Several years ago, I wrote a newspaper column about this topic, but a walk along country roads in our neighborhood this morning got me to thinking about it again:
Why don't more people wave to each other anymore?
If one of God's instructions to His people is "Love thy neighbor as thyself," doesn't it follow that more people should wave back when someone is waving to them as they pass by? Yet about two-thirds of the people I waved to this morning as they came toward me in their vehicles stayed stone-faced and ignored my friendly gesture.
What were they afraid of? I wasn't waving crazily with both hands to signal that I needed help. I wasn't holding a cardboard sign asking for a donation. No, I was simply waving a friendly hello, hoping to get a wave in return.
I saw the same thing happen last summer as our youth group hosted a free car wash along one of the busiest thoroughfares in Cheyenne. Not only did the motorists not believe we were really giving free car washes (which we were, though some people insisted on giving us a donation), they wouldn't even wave back when we waved to them in greeting.
What gives, people?
This wasn't the case when I was growing up on the farm in Eastern Oregon in the '80s. I'm sure it was part of the farm culture or living in a small town, but we always waved to our neighbors, and nine times out of 10, they waved back.
One of my favorite parts of going to work during the warmer months here is driving toward town on Yellowstone Road and seeing the older gentleman who walks that road every morning. He waves at everyone who passes by. I'm sure he has noticed the same thing I have -- that people just don't wave much anymore.
But he doesn't let that deter him. He waves at every car that passes by -- even those who come up from behind him.
And I make sure he sees me wave back.
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