Sweet, Dark and Crazy

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Howdy, Neighbor!

I’m a waver. I grew up waving at neighbors, chatting to people in line at the store and nodding ‘hello’ at the park when passing other walkers and joggers. I like waving at my neighbors. I’m from Ohio, and in Ohio, we wave.

Anyway, I’ve lived on both coast and I hate, I mean hate, the people who ‘don’t have time’ for pleasantries. Really? I mean really. You can’t put your hand up and move it from side to side for two seconds as I’m walking the dog and you are pulling out of the drive way? Are you that intense that you have to look forward and work very hard to ignore me as you jog by? Is it going to kill you to do half of a head nod as our eyes meet while we’re both putting the garbage on the curb? Are you that frazzled and overwhelmed that you can’t mutter “Good morning,” to a co-worker as you pass by?

In California, I spent two years living next to a woman who refused to speak or wave. She just scowled. I never learned her name. I got nothing from her in two years. In fact, when I tried to speak, she would look at me as if I was a registered sex offender asking for a play date with her children. I mean, home girl was completely over the top in unneighborly behavior. Yet, if her house was on fire or something else went down, I have no doubt that she would have ran her little evil ass over and asked me for help. And, I wouldn’t have scowled back at her (although I’m sure the thought would have crossed my mind), I would have helped her because I’m nice and I’m from Ohio and that’s what we do.

Of course, I’m not stupid. I’m talking about exchanging pleasantries and being courteous when you are in the workplace, in your neighborhood or maybe in a store dealing with acquaintances and select strangers. I’m not advocating going down a dark alley littered with criminals and crack heads grinning and saying “Top of the morning to you!” to people who actually might want to do you harm. Chances are though, that you don’t work with those people and, hopefully, you don’t live next door to them.

If you are one of those non-wavers, here’s a thought. Most of us ‘nice people’ just like a little acknowledgement. I promise you, if you pass us in the hall and give a good morning nod, we aren’t going to grab you and give you some ridiculous and wildly inappropriate bear hug. If you wave to us on the street while we are walking by, we aren’t going to jump in front of your car and demand a 20 minute conversation.

We are nice, but we aren’t crazy (well, not most of us anyway).

Labels: Hometown, Random Shit

posted by SDC @ 2:21 PM

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