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Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Hello!!! (again)

I drive my girls to school every morning, and every afternoon I pick them up. Every day it's the same routine.

A friend of mine drives the same mini van as me, same color and all, except for she has a little sticker on the back of hers that says NUT. I need to ask her what that stands for one of these days.

Every morning she drops her kids off at school, and every afternoon she picks them up.
Every morning and afternoon we pass each other.... day in and day out.

For the first few weeks of school I would give her a cheery wave every single time. We're friends, right? Friends wave. After a few weeks of this I started to wonder, am I being totally obnoxious? Is it really necessary for me to wave every time I see her?

It reminded me of when I would go running around the cemetery in PA every day in preparation for my half-marathon. There was always at least one other person there running in the opposite direction as me. The first time we'd pass each other we would make eye contact and nod hello, but every time we passed each other after that it was a little bit awkward...I can't say hello again. Do I smile even? or do I just ignore their presence all together? Sometimes I would look up in the trees like I was bird watching, or I would act like I was looking at the grave sites along the side of the path.

It's also kind of like when you run into an acquaintance at the grocery store and you say "Hey! How have you been- Good to see you, " and then part ways, only to run into each other again in the cereal aisle... Do you pretend you don't see them? Or do you continue your conversation from a few minutes ago?

I decided that it wasn't really necessary for me to keep waving, and that I had maybe been overdoing it a little. I began driving right passed her without giving my cheery wave. It felt so unnatural. It's not like I could pretend I didn't see her. We are the only two in the whole school with the same exact van. So I decided to do a modified wave,(barely raising my hand from the steering wheel) every 2 days or so, but NOT in the morning AND afternoon on the same day. That would seem way too eager.

After a week or two of doing the modified wave, I started to lift only my index finger. More like a 'yo' then a hello. A peace sign would maybe have seemed a little less unfriendly/obligatory.

Does she even think about her greetings to me every morning? Does she stay up passed her bed time blogging about it? Does she even HAVE a blog? Does she...ahem..... read this blog?

At any rate, this morning I decided that I, as her friend, am entitled to wave at her however cheery and however many times I want to throughout the day. I'm sorry if she thinks my jazz hands, and my bed hair and makeupless, early morning face frighten her, or seem too obnoxious for her taste, but the modified wave/finger lift just isn't going to cut it anymore. Not for this minivan sisterhood.
She should consider herself lucky that I don't honk.





5 comments:

  1. Go for the full on wave! I have thought of this as well, because I too drive my kids to school at least once a day. I pass a crossing guard of another school, and parents at my kids school. I have felt awkward on many occasions and have wondered the same questions... except the thought of the blog, cause I don't write one! So, I will attempt to give a cheery wave... even though my shy personality feels otherwise... to those whom I am not on such a familiar friendly basis. Thanks for being a good example.

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  2. Wave my friend! Talk twice in the store! Congratulate on another lap complete! You may be just the boost they need that day.

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