Let's just smile and wave

Have you ever smiled and said hello to a complete stranger? What was the reaction? Were they startled? Did they return the hello, even if it was a bewildered response?

 

At times, you may have thought it was someone you knew when you did that. Or maybe you weren’t sure, so you wanted to hedge your bets. Either way, a random hello or smile or wave can make a difference in someone’s day.

 

When this is published, it is possible someone will have been declared the winner in the Presidential election. Even if that has been done, there still might be some court cases on it, just like four years ago. No matter the result, we know that about half the people who voted will probably be mad.

 

How can we overcome this angry polarity in our country? Here’s a possible solution: Just smile and wave.

 

As I drive to work every day, I sometimes note the same cars going the other direction on their way to their own jobs, sometimes fellow teachers. Angie Gehrke is teaching in Ellendale this semester and told me she waves furiously at me, but I just don’t seem to see it. I should pay more attention, but I’m also on the constant lookout for those pesky deer.

 

Maybe we should all just wave to every car coming the other way, especially when we’re on our country roads. There are a variety of ways you can wave. You can actually physically lift your hand from off the steering wheel and shake it back and forth. You can raise it up in a full-hand salute.

 

Or you can do what many Minnesotans do: the one-finger wave. You know the bit, right? The pointer finger flicks up because you notice someone you know, or think you know. (Again, the hedging your bets thing comes in here.)

 

The one-finger wave sometimes happens as a result of seeing someone you recognize at the last second. Shoot, I need to wave! You can also do the head bob in this scenario, but that’s not as easily seen and could just as well have been you hitting a bump in the road. Still, the brain sometimes struggles with focusing on the importance of safe driving while also seeing who’s coming the other way. 

 

Maybe we should just wave to everyone as we drive. That friendly gesture could make someone smile when they’re having a tough day. Maybe their news feed raised their blood pressure, but your kind wave made them forget it, if even for a moment.

 

When did we become so angry? When did our candidate not winning become something to make our blood boil? Yes, we should care about who wins an elected position; they will be helping steer the course of our lives for a time. But have things ever become so despicable after someone wins that our lives are irrevocably harmed? 

 

We survived four years of Donald Trump. We survived four years of Joe Biden. Whichever way your compass tilts, that’s reality. Neither man had four wonderful years as the leader of the free world. Both had ups and downs. Both had good things they did and both had struggles that led to things not being ideal in our country. Contrary to popular belief, neither one really controlled gas prices during their tenure.

 

So as I drive, I’m going to choose to be positive. I’m going to wave and smile. The gas prices will keep changing based on a lot of factors, no matter if it is Donald Trump again or Kamala Harris. Not much I can do about it except smile and wave.

 

I was so proud of my 7th and 8th graders recently. Surrounded by a world where people say mean things about political candidates in-person and online, they took the path of respectfulness in a recent blog where I asked them to write their feelings about the upcoming election. Some favored Trump and some favored Harris and some didn’t really care, which is just fine when you’re 12-14 years old. But they all wrote without having to bash on people or write mean things about a candidate they don’t support. There is hope for the future!

 

But wait, there’s more! I mentioned earlier about saying hello to random people. Why not? It shouldn’t matter if I know somebody or not, just say hello. A smile helps, too. It could be the same thing as someone driving - Your smile and greeting could turn their day around.

 

Or they could think you’re a weirdo. Either way, it might take their mind off something negative going on. 

 

Let’s try it! Let’s smile, wave, nod, gesture, whatever, to acknowledge that other people are okay and deserving of our friendliness. We seem to be a pretty angry nation right now. Maybe we can change that one wave at a time.

 

Word of the Week: This week’s word is avuncular, which means kind and helpful, as in, “The avuncular girl was always a welcome sight at the care center.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!