Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Pet Peeve #14 – Blind Waving


Why is it that when we see someone we have an automatic compulsion to wave? Even if they aren’t looking at us our arm flings up involuntarily like a Jim Carrey comedy. I can’t stand it.

                When I am the wave receiver there is a good chance that I won’t be looking. It is likely that I am on a mission or interacting with other people. I don’t generally go out without a purpose, so why wave at me if I’m not looking? You can’t be mad for not getting any wave reciprocity. And if I get a text that says, “Thanks for waving back L” I might delete your number. Make sure there has been definite eye contact before waving. I’m talking alley-oop eye contact.

                When I am the wave giver I find it incredibly hard to forgive myself. Standing at 6 feet and 7 inches tall, people see me wave. All of the people, except the person I was waving at. So when I take down my hand and scratch the back of my head trying to fool everyone like I wasn’t waving – I look like a giant moron.

                What is this compulsion to wave anyway? Are we rude if we don’t wave? If we haven’t made eye contact, should we have been looking for you? What level of friendship do we have to be on before the waving begins? I say we eradicate waving from non-verbal communication. Once we rid ourselves of waves, we rid ourselves of the stressful responsibility of ‘polite’ reciprocation and we rid ourselves of the embarrassment that may follow if we are not seen by our target.

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