waving, smiling, being pleasant

During the spring semester '02, the university's newspaper featured a front-page of the "waving guy".  The student said that one day the previous fall, he was waiting outside near one of the busier intersections, in front of the student union.  He noticed all the drivers were scowling intensely, preoccupied.  No one was singing with the radio.  No one was smiling.  No one looked pleasantly friendly.

So the "waving guy" decided that just wasn't right.  Throughout the entire spring semester, he could be seen Monday through Friday from about 10 am til 2 pm.  He'd be bundled up on the coldest days of February and as the semester warmed, he'd be kicked back in his lawn-chair, chillin'.  Sometimes he wore sunglasses and a funky hat.

He waved to every body.  That was his thing.  He talked and smiled to other students, walking past him.  Many times, folks brought their chairs and would sit and wave with him.  Sometimes students would sit on the picnic tables not too far away, and after a bit, they'd start waving too.

Mostly, he waved at the occupants of the vehicles that had to stop at the intersection.  Most folks were somewhat startled.  Most waved back, smiling.  The "waving guy" said that it made him feel good to know that for a bit those folks were distracted in a good way.

The "waving guy" said that he noticed that different folks responded slightly different.  Downhome boys in the pickup trucks gave the "cool barely-lifted-two-finger acknowledgement with the slight-incline-of-the-head nod".

Then there were the regulars, folks he saw just about every day.  Some of these had special greetings that they exchanged.  A couple would toot their horns in short rapid staccato rhythyms.

As the semester came to a close, the "waving guy" was seen less frequently.  It was time to study for finals and write those term-papers.  While waving was not his primary purpose for attending college, that simple act brought a lighter heart for many.  Even if it was just a few seconds of smiling before the mind got busy again with worrying about deadlines, assignments, etc.

He graduated that term.  I wonder if others missed his fairly unwavering presence.  I know I did.