OK, I realize this isn't a problem for everyone...well, maybe it isn't a problem for anyone here in Corvallis because as far as I can tell, no one does it but me!
Yes, I'm talking about waving. Yes, waving. When I run, and bike actually, I give a quick wave to runners that are going by me the other way. It's just a friendly little gesture saying "I'm here running, you're here running, we're both here running, we've obviously got something in common, so I'm giving you a little hey-nice-job wave." That's it. I don't want to stop and talk. I don't want a date. I won't bother you. I swear!
So how many people give me a wave back? Well, that would be...none. I can't remember a single person waving back at me in the past few weeks...and you pass a lot of people running here.
Maybe it's me. That's what I was thinking, but you know, I'm dressed, I shower occasionally, I brush and floss, I'm just not that scary. So I started testing out some theories. Maybe I was waving too late and by the time I got the return wave, I was already past. So I waved earlier. Nope. Nothing. Maybe I was too casual with the wave and they thought I was swatting flies or something, so I turned it up a notch. Got a couple of people giving me a good stare to determine if I needed them to call 911, but still no waves back.
So what's the problem? Are we really that anti-social? It's a wave, people. Now don't get me wrong, I've lived in places where you didn't wave at anyone or anything while running, you didn't even make eye contact for fear you'd get something thrown at you (yes, Birch Bay and Sedro Woolley, I'm talking about you), but this is Corvallis. People are actually fairly happy here.
Next person that doesn't return the wave is getting tackled. You've been warned.
That's Sidney waving in the pool. Do I know him? No. No, I don't.
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