January 26, 2012

Lost Art: The Wave

Lately I've noticed a few types of waves that aren't done as often as they used to be.
The decline of all three makes me sad.
Let's all work together to bring them back. Wavers unite!

Passing other runners
Unless you're a super hardcore runner in the middle of your speed workout, you should wave hello.
You're not too cool to show solidarity for a fellow athlete. You just aren't.
If it helps motivate you to wave, feel free to consider raising your hand as an arm-toning move.
Sports games
Memories from my childhood fuel my sadness at the struggle to get sports fans to do the wave.
Going to BYU and UofU football games with my dad and brothers, we loved watching the phenomenon going around the stadium, and we excitedly popped up and flung our arms in the air.
I hope parents are still teaching kids to do this, because it's a grand tradition at games.
Waving at other cars
Oh, you just let me into your lane? Then I'll give you a courtesy wave.
Would you like to come into my driving lane? Sure, I'll wave to let you know that I acknowledge your coming over and that I'll give you plenty of space to do so.
Not something I learned in Driver's Ed class. My folks taught me this, and I'm grateful for that lesson.

5 comments:

  1. definitely do the runner to runner wave on every run and i get a little annoyed if i let someone merge and i don't get a courtesy wave. :)

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  2. I'm with ya, Jen! Wish everyone were as courteous as us.

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  3. I wave at people regarding traffic movements all the time! I love when someone lets me in, as is rare in Utah. And I love when someone acknowledges that I did something nice by letting them in instead of just cutting me off, right?

    The funny one?
    I wave at my friends at the gym. Cause you are working out hard and sweating but want to acknowledge their existence.
    And then one of them said to me, "Stop it. We don't wave at the gym." So now I wave so hard I look a little "special" when I see him. Teach him to be embarrassed by how super-cool I am!

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  4. That is awesome, Larissa! Way to teach him a lesson!

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  5. I still wave at people in traffic, and it does make me sad when others don't wave back. A UPS guy on NPR this morning used the lack of waving (and dwindling use of blinkers) as an example of how our society is becoming less polite, and I agree!

    Now I want to go to a game and do the wave!

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