Waving (And Other Kindly Gestures)

What did one ocean say to the other ocean? Nothing! They just waved! Hahaha <sigh>. I’ll admit I’m a vigorous waver – when I’m walking the dogs and cars pass, when I’m driving, when I see people in the neighborhood.  Sometimes I get a wave back; sometimes I get crickets and sideways glances; and sometimes I get confused looks – like trying to figure out if they know me accompanied by a half wave. But I won’t stop, can’t stop!

For me, there is something very human and very comforting about a wave. It’s an acknowledgment of the other as a person, someone worthy of attention, and a friendly gesture to help connect us – even if for half a second. For just a brief instance in time, I can put aside anything other than me and that other person having a human moment – a reminder that, in organic situations, we can all tap into our humanity.

There are other kindly gestures (yep, I say kindly 😁 ) as well – a smile, a thumbs up, or even a head tilt – that we can use to acknowledge the presence and human-ess of folks we meet daily. And, for the most part, hand waves, translate well across cultures – unlike the V for victory sign. I’m looking at you, Great Britain and Australia. 😉 

Of course, there are other gestures that convey an entirely different message – that we’ve all likely performed and had performed against us. And, yes, you can wave that gesture around as well – but it’s just not the same. ;)

I read this quote recently about the act of hand waving that stuck with me:

There’s a psychological phenomenon called Mirroring – and we’re all subject to its effects. It’s the “behavior in which one person subconsciously imitates the gesture, speech pattern, or attitude of another.” A simple waggling of the fingers in a very condensed timeframe can elicit the same response from another person. And the crazy thing is that doing so can stimulate a positive response in the brain of both the doer and receiver. That’s pretty amazing.

Try waving (with the whole hand, not just the one finger) and smiling at people as you pass them by. Sure, some will be confused and look at you oddly – but others will respond genuinely in kind. It’s a small way to acknowledge our humanity with strangers.