Things you should know about me before we start:
-I'm a 31 year old mother of a 15 month old little girl, and I'm 9 weeks pregnant.
-I've lived with the same man for 12 years and counting - plus three cats.
-I work in retail, and have for far too long.
-I've experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in the past 2 years.
-Some days, I feel like my cheese has slipped a little too far off it's cracker.
When I decided I wanted to start a blog, I debated what I should make it about. Should I talk about motherhood and all the crazy shit I wish someone had warned me about? Should I stick to the hypocrisy of retail sales? What about relationships, family, loss, traffic, AHHHHH!!!!!
So why limit myself? I'm going to talk about whatever the hell strikes me at the time. It could inspire you, it could anger you, it could make you laugh. And maybe, just maybe, this will be the tiny little outlet I've been searching for.
Today's topic: The wave.
I sit in enormous amounts of traffic on a daily basis. There are several parts of my trip where either I need to merge, or someone else needs to merge in front of me.
I can't explain why, but when I don't get "the wave", I get very upset. What happened to common courtesy? It might not be taught in a traditional fashion, but the wave is well known throughout this country as a way to say "Hey, thanks for letting me in!! I appreciate you!!"
The best wave I ever got was in a rainstorm. I let someone in, and they rolled down their window to stick out their arm and WAVE, getting themselves wet for their trouble. I smiled for miles.
I guess the wave doesn't just apply to shitty traffic situations. The concept applies everywhere. Like holding a door for someone, or smiling when you accidentally make eye contact instead of pretending it didn't happen. Are we so unaware of anyone other than ourselves? Do we only pay attention to someone's issues if they pop up on Yahoo News or Facebook?
I'm not sure if the technological age has triggered the change in society, or if I'm just noticing it because I have to think about the future for my children. I for one am going to try harder to smile bigger, to wave like a crazy person, to hold doors and carry bags, and to cause a grin on someone else's face. I might not make a giant dent in the grand scheme of things, but at least I'll make a small one in my own little world, and you have to start somewhere.
