A few years ago I read an article in Runner’s World entitled The Waver’s Dilemma. After this, I started to experiment with waving while running. I used to be a pretty staunch non-waver during my runs, preffering instead to be absorbed in my ipod and misery and pretend that I didn’t see other people.
What I discovered is that it’s not that much marginal effort to acknowledge other people. I don’t have to take my earbuds out. I don’t have to stop and chat. I don’t have to high-five anyone (although there was once some awkward confusion where my wave got misinterpreted). I just have to smile and wave. By wave, I refer of course to flashing the 2-fingered peace sign, my own personal brand of waving.
Honestly, this started out more as a sociological experiment than an altruistic endeavor. I try to wave at absolutely everybody that’s on foot, be they runners, walkers, people waiting at the bus station, or work-crew inmates. It’s interesting to notice that:
- Everbody that runs in the rain is a waver (the article is right!)
- 50% of people that run on a sunny day are wavers
- People that look like serious runners (buff men in tank tops and sunglasses) have a lower percentage of wavers
- High school kids are wavers, even in groups, but especially alone. The lone high schooler is my favorite person to wave at because you can tell from the startled look in their eyes that very few people validate them as human beings
- An inmate has yet to make eye-contact with me, but I wave anyway
I firmly believe that people that don’t wave back, maybe you think don’t even see you, are the people that benefit the most from a grin and a salute. I know from experience that some days, you are just too lost to acknowledge other people. But being validated by a stranger when you are in the dark place, is almost the only antidote. I have been validated by a stranger when I’ve been in a dark place and to me it signifies that I’m not alone, and that there is still hope in this world.
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