The fine art of waving ~ August 2, 2006

David Heiller

Cindy and I were heading to Reno a couple weeks ago when we spied a farmer haling hay. The farmer gave me a look from the seat of his John Deere tractor, as if he was waiting something, and he was.

I waved. Then he waved back. I don’t know who it was, although my bet is that it was a Lampert.

Then last Sunday afternoon Mom and I and some relatives were sitting in the yard. A man on an International tractor went clipping along to the north. Mom and I looked at the driver. We waited. He looked at us, then gave a wave. Morn and I gave a good one in return. Mom’s wave was particularly hearty. She looked like she was flagging down the threshing crew for the noon meal. I think she misses living in the country and giving a real wave.

"Who was that?”‘ I asked.

“I don’t know,” she answered.

That’s the beauty of it: A wave is a good thing to do, no matter who it is. All right, there are a few exceptions, but not many.

It’s fun to think about wave protocol.

Those two instances above illustrate one rule that didn’t dawn on me until I saw Mom implement it. She didn’t wave to the International tractor driver until he waved first. That got me to thinking that the John Deere tractor driver didn’t wave to me until I waved first. My theory is that the person traveling down the road from Point A to Point B has the responsibility to wave first.

I noticed that the other day when I was driving through the parking lot at the courthouse. Darlene Kuhlers was walking past and keeping a careful eye on me. That might have had something to do with her perception of my driving skills. But more likely it was good wave manners. She was waiting, and she did not wave until I waved! That’s the key to Wave Manners 101.

There are other fine points to that course. One is that you don’t toot your horn when a wave will do. I could have given Darlene a toot, but it wouldn’t have been appropriate, even if she weren’t the court administrator.

And there proper types of waves. Mom’s threshing bee wave is fine, it’s wholesome, and hearkens back to her days on the prairie in North Dakota. You can’t go wrong with a big wave.

Our neighbor, Mark Bird, stuck his arm out the window to wave at Cindy and me while we were on a walk a couple weeks ago. It looked like he was flagging down a taxi. That’s a neighborly wave, and made us feel good.

Some waves are more reserved, of course If you don’t know the person too well, a single finger—your forefinger!—is fine. If they are decent friend, lift two fingers. If they are close friends, you may lift all four fingers. You only lift your whole hand off the wheel if their car is or fire or their wheels are coming off.

It’s good to know your vehicles too. When you are travelling 65 miles an hour on County Road 3 (not that I ever do that) it can be hard to see just who is behind that windshield. But if you know the vehicle, it’s safe to give a wave. For example, if it’s a blue minivan heading up the hill at about 7:45 during the school year there’s a strong likelihood that it’s good old Mary Serres. Give her a wave, and a four fingered one to boot!

There’s a lot more to this wave business. If you want to learn more, send $10 and a self addressed, stamped envelope to Dave Heiller, Wave Expert, Brownsville, MN 55919.