Waving. It's such a simple thing. No one waves anymore. I travel quite a few miles down the highway every day and on the weekends, and hardly anyone waves at me. When I was a kid, I remember my grandfather driving through town and throwing up his hand to every person as they drove past, and they threw their hand up to him. Granted, my grandfather lived in the same town for forty years, so he probably knew everyone that went past, but I've never forgotten his hand raising up off the steering wheel in a "how are ya?" gesture, and the other drivers giving it back. Nowadays, it seems that people are too self-involved to even notice that I'm waving at them... either that or road rage. Someone walking on the side of the road? Throw up my hand and wave! More times than not they don't wave back, and if I look in my rearview mirror, they are staring at me as if I've committed some crime and they have to be an eyewitness. Just plain old common courtesy seems to be dying. Maybe it's the 9/11 attacks that have made everyone more calloused and look others suspiciously. Maybe it's just that we are raising a selfish generation that doesn't have time to wave. Or maybe the sun's in their eyes and they didn't see me.

So let's see if we can get some common courtesy going. Hold a door for a lady. Wave at a stranger on the highway. Say hello to everyone at work. Say something nice. It'll only hurt for a little while.  ¶ 5/06/2003