Lets catch some waves…
So the other day I was casually walking towards my house when I saw my ex-housemate across the road from me. As he looked over I gave a little wave. He sorta clocked me but instead of waving back he just blanked me. SOME PEOPLE. Determined not to be ignored I gave another wave. Blanked again. This time I waved BIG, like I was flagging down a spaceship big, my arms streched out making moon like semi circles in the air, so big that – okay you get the picture… But it was big wave. He couldn’t miss me. Or could he? He just continued to walk the opposite way. That was when I decided to cross the road – I was going to say hello whether he liked it or not. My mind was set. He was with two friends – but that didn’t matter – hello I had shared wotsits with him for a year.
As I came towards him he looked a little confused. Then it struck me (as I was still edging closer)… I HAD THE WRONG GUY. It turned out I didn’t know this person at all! Awwwww shhiiiitteee. What to do? I started to panic but it was too late to turn back now… I had already flagged the guy down with my gigantic space-cadet waves, dodged speeding cars and made a MASSIVE hullaballoo.
He stopped walking as he spotted this crazy girl coming towards him with this determined look on her face.
We were almost within speaking distance and I still had no bright ideas but I just kept walking and before I knew it I was now out of –
Me: ‘Hey, how are you?’
Stranger: ‘I’m good thanks’ (Blatently not knowing who I was but trying to act like he did)
Me: ‘you don’t remember me do you?’
Stranger: Hmmm errrr. Ooo yeah were you out the other night?
Me: Yeah (lying), I think I was a bit wasted. (lying some more)
Stranger: Aww me too…
We ended up chatting about this supposed night we had had out together for five whole minutes!!! FIVE!?
The poor sod went along with it too. He ended up being so embarrassed for not recognizing me he even showered me with apologies. It was just so humiliatingly awkward. I didn’t have the guts to say… ‘actually mate don’t apologize I’ve never met you before in my life.’ So I graciously accepted his sorry just so long as he remembered next time.
It was wierd but I left making a new friend and he left thinking he had just remembered an old one.
Moral of story… waving spreads love man.
After my experience I have decided to become an ambassador of the common wave.
But I can tell ya not all my wave making experiences have been this jammy!
Now I have a question: Have you ever waved at someone you know only to have them blank you??
I have. It’s not pretty.
I shall now tell you a little story…
Once upon a time there was a Drama and English undergraduate who was enrolled in a class where she was blanked by every one of her colleagues outside of lesson time.
As none of the her friends has been enrolled in this particular class she decided, after the first session, she would try and make an effort with this new group of people. However, little did the girl know that the class was plagued by an evil curse where the cliques would rule the roost.
Whether I – I mean she was strolling to the library or hip hop dancing to Rihanna in the SU, she took great pleasure in smiling and giving little waves to colleagues she saw outside of class.
But alas, her class mates from the course of snubsville never returned the girls smiles and waves. They would, of course, smile and wave at each other. But this girl was an outsider and so was ignored.
At first she thought:
‘maybe they just don’t recognize me in this natural lighting’
or
‘they probably didn’t see me because my jacket camouflaged with this bush’
But after about five weeks without a single wave she began to realize it would literally be impossible for these people NOT to smile and wave at her.
One time she was walking to the class in question, when she bumped into about five or six of these rogues. Despite a) them looking at her, b) she – smiling cheerfully at them, and c) her giving a lil wave – not one person said hello. How rude.
Was this bullying? Was this exclusion? Was the girl being socially exiled? Even though she was a tough cookie this behaviour really got on her tits.
She trundled home one evening and ranted to her mates – ‘I just don’t get it. What’s the big deal? I’m not selling insurance or anything. I was just trying to be friendly.’
The girl realized that making waves was a lot easier then catching them. Maybe waving was out of date? Maybe she looked silly waving to her class mates out of study time? Maybe….
Suddenly the wisest of her friends spoke up, after listening intently to the woeful tale she said.
‘darling, I shouldn’t worry about it. Sometimes people can just be… well… wankers can’t they.’
The girl thought for a moment.
The friend continued… ‘I’d just keep waving if I was you, because that is who you are. You like to acknowledge people – that’s a great thing.’
The English and Drama undergraduate looked deep into the crevasses of her soul. What would Gandhi do? She finally came to the conclusion that – hell to it – if she wanted to wave, by god she would wave. She would smile and say hi even if the person she was saying hi to didn’t return the courtesy.
Why? Because she believed small gestures made a big difference in the community. She made a pact that afternoon that she would never exclude or make someone feel invisible by ignoring them (even if she was surrounded by buddies). That was just how she liked to roll!
Long after the class ended she realized that those people who blanked her had yet to learn the power of wave making. They stuck to their groups and never made any friends outside of their cliques until they got kicked in the balls by their colleagues in the university of life.
The English and drama undergrad, on the other hand, stuck to her guns. She found that waving to people was just a rad way of spreading the luuuurve.
The End.
The mexicans know how to wave big style!
I have pondered why waving is so damn awesome and I have come up with a few ideas.
Firstly, it releases tension in the wrists.
Secondly it increases circulation in my hands/ar,ms.
And thirdly… guess what it feels good to say hello to people.
Now I am sure you all are saintly cherubs and wave/smile to people you know all the time. I think most people do – to be fair. But if you are guity of wave snubbery then SHAME ON YOU!
Either way my ramblings are over for this week.
Hope you’re having a good one!
x
Categories: Cringe Factor