since january, i've run, oh... a couple thousand miles. (that sounds unbelievable, really.) i'm still liking it, so i guess that means i'm looking forward to the next couple thousand.
i've run all of them outside, and almost without exception, in my own neighborhood. that means i run on public roads. a lot. we don't have sidewalks, so i run on the shoulder, facing oncoming traffic, head up and alert.
and as i run (bounce, shuffle) along, i throw up my hand and wave at everyone i pass.
sometimes my wave just means, "Hi!"
sometimes it means, "I see you coming, don't worry."
sometimes it means, "I don't have a lot of room here, so please move over."
and sometimes it just means, "What? My face is supposed to be this red!! Don't worry about me! I promise I'm not going to pass out in front of you!!"
now, i've run these roads for eight and a half months now. one day i might pass three cars the entire time, and other days i might pass thirty. every once in while, i'll encounter someone watering their lawn, or walking their dog. and every so often, i'll come upon another runner. i wave at them all (mostly, you know, so i don't scare them with my beet faced huffing puffing shuffle). and i gotta tell ya: nobody's waving back!
it's okay, really. i don't take it personally. i take that back. i did take it personally when that one guy not only didn't wave, but also seemed to grip the steering wheel a little tighter in an effort to avoid giving me any more space on the road.
but it would be nice to get a little recognition from time to time. hey! we're all out here together. let's look out for each other! i'm not asking you to talk to me or anything. (in fact, please don't talk to me. i need to save every precious breath!)
but maybe just a little wave; lift your fingers off the steering wheel a little bit. a nod of the head? something? heck, if i can muster the energy to throw up my hand after five or six miles, the least you can do is reciprocate. at least i'll know you see me and won't be running me off the road.
do you wave back? would you wave at me? i promise i won't pass out in front of you!
10 comments:
I'm a waver and I wish more people would wave back.
I'll wave. Promise. Did you ever notice that motorcyclists wave at each other all the time? "We're all out here together." Got your back. We also wave for all the other reasons you mentioned. Well, maybe not the red-face pass out one, but you get the idea.
I'm a smiler.
I go out early in the morning, and it's always the same 3 people I see in the same spots, every day. Then my neighborhood is shaped like a figure 8, so sometimes I happen on a person twice in one day. That's awkward for me, I may smile or wave the first time, but it feels goofy the second. And then day after day, same wave. So I look down and fake like I have no idea anyone else is there. I'll think of you the next time I get up the gumption to wave.
I can't say for sure that I would wave, but I would at least smile and say hello!
I've been walking in the canyon here and everyone gives a nod at the bare minimum.
They always wave and say Good Morning here in Ohio- very friendly people. Unfortunately, when you are running 16-20 miles, it gets a little tough to make that little extra effort, especially if there is a lot of people out that day- but I still try!
This made me laugh because I experience some of the same thing! I run every morning with my friend, and there are several people out on the sidewalks, and we run right passed the high school, so lots of kids. We say hello to EVERYONE but rarely get a hello back. No matter! We are who we are and we are greeters! We will always say hello no matter if you respond or not!
I wave & smile at everyone I pass, but most everyone I pass waves back. Well, not the people driving, but if they're out walking, or running (usually faster than me), or cycling, or gardening or just "out," I always get a friendly wave back.
Girl you KNOW I would wave! Keep up the good work and keep up the waving! :) -carlo
I'd wave! I wave all the time, and it's amazing to me how rarely other people wave back. On the other hand, when someone does it's usually with a grin and that makes all the non-wavers worth it. I hope you find someone to grin and wave back at you!
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