note: I actually published this then removed it. Sometimes I reread a post and say to myself, “So you’re just having fun here, trying to get a laugh,” amidst all the crap going down in the world and I worry that the blog will be seen as unserious. (and I also worry that my humor is off the mark). So I delete a post now and then. But today at the men’s breakfast Bart Lambert had a story about IFF systems. “It means Identify Friend or Foe. The Navy and Air Force have had these IFF systems for decades and they work very well, so when they say a plane went down from friendly fire, it’s likely BS.” Jerry Henderson mentioned my post and how he is a regular friendly waver, and then Ed Masterson talked about greetings and the loss of civility, and I got to thinking, “Why not bring up this seemingly trivial gesture of neighborliness? It’s not a big deal but neither is ‘Hello!’ or ‘How ya doin’?’ directed at an acquaintance or even a stranger. Both the verbal greetings and the friendly wave are good IFFs. So on that note, I’ll put this trivial post back up.
Pastor John’s recovery from an injury sustained a few years ago requires regular exercise. He likes going on walks and doesn’t shy from getting out in the Montana cold, but since it involves boots and bundling up he takes a lot of walks in the church itself, circling the perimeter of the sanctuary or making a longer there-and-back loop between sanctuary and dining hall. When I hear the swinging kitchen/dining room door open I often get up from my desk here in the kla/bbr studio to see if it’s the pastor, because I almost always have something on my mind I want to run by him. This has become sort of a regular thing and it’s very convenient to know I can pester him with questions almost any day I’m down here, since I can just accost* him during his daily exercise. I thank him at the end for the conversation and free counseling, but he often thanks me too; I appreciate his knowledge and wisdom, he likes the challenge of my questions, and we seem to enjoy each other’s insights.
*Since I’m the one (amicably) barging in on Pastor John’s exercise time I was going to use the word waylay here but accost is the better term. Webster- Accost: to approach and speak to (someone) in an often challenging or aggressive way. borrowed from Middle French accoster, going back to Old French, "to go alongside of, sail along the coast of, place (a vessel) beside another" (sʼacoster a "to take a place beside, draw near, support"), probably going back to Vulgar Latin *accostāre, from Latin ad- ad- + costa "rib, side" —
You could say that while our sloops are side by side and John is teaching me in the peripatetic style, the Valley Fellowship becomes the Bitterroot Lyceum. Next time I’m getting free advice in this manner, I’m going to spice things up and imagine Pastor John in a toga and wreath crown, and my favorite mug in the coffee room will be filled with hemlock.
As we walked alongside each other the other day, the faith vs. works (or faith and works) issue came up as an aside, and Pastor John mentioned the Saturday men’s breakfast group, and said something to the effect of, “We’re getting our minds in the right place but we also need to be focusing on what action we’re taking. What about our works?” I said something about various things some of our members had done and are doing, then Pastor John said BBR is good example of works, and I agreed but felt a little guilty that things were progressing so slowly. I think John may have sensed that and so he again encouraged me by saying, “It’s going to be a success and I’m sure of it.”
In any case, I like the idea of the Saturday breakfast men sharing what they’re up to out in the real world. Mark Ryan is good at this. It would take too long for all of us to give an individual report, so maybe we could start talking about what we’re doing in groups.
Well, I’m not going to toot my horn at the breakfast for something as trivial and goofy as this, but on substack anything goes, so here’s my little good-works contribution to the betterment of mankind today. I’m going to take the guesswork out of the To wave or not to wave conundrum and suggest a system:
Keeping the neighborly tradition alive:
The Montana Friendly Wave
In Montana, waving while driving is a common and friendly gesture that reflects the community spirit of the state. Here are some key points about the Montana friendly wave:
Waving is a Sign of Courtesy: Waving to other drivers is seen as a sign of courtesy and friendliness. It’s a way of communicating without speaking, often interpreted as “Howdy. Safe travels, my friend.”
Types of Waves: There are several types of waves you might encounter or use while driving in Montana:
The Classic: A two-finger wave (index and middle finger) from the steering wheel.
The Palm: Similar to The Classic, but with all four fingers raised.
The Salute: A full-hand wave, though less common as it requires removing your hand from the steering wheel.
The Heisman: Used primarily in city limits, often from the passenger window.
The Six Guns: Both hands on the steering wheel, making pistol shapes.
The Claw: A partial wave where the hand is lifted from the steering wheel but fingers are not extended.
The Check-Off: A variation of The Classic, used to signal another driver to proceed at a stop sign.
The Cowpoke: Rolling down the driver’s window and twirling the arm in a circular motion like a lasso, often accompanied by phrases like “yeehaw.”
When to Wave: The more rural the road, the more you should be ready to wave. It’s less common in bigger towns unless you’re thanking another driver.
Driver’s Wave: This is a specific gesture where you lift one or two fingers from the steering wheel. It’s a friendly greeting and can be seen as a sign of community and solidarity.
Initiating the Wave: While some drivers initiate the wave, others respond to it. It’s a gesture that can make newcomers feel welcome and is deeply rooted in Montana culture.
Community Feeling: Waving is not just about acknowledging another driver but also about fostering a sense of community and friendliness, especially in rural areas.
This practice is particularly prevalent on backroads and rural highways, where it serves as a friendly greeting and a way to acknowledge the presence of others on the road.
OK, I’d better make a confession right now: That whole description of the Montana Wave was not mine- it came straight and unedited from the Brave AI answer generator. I was just doing a little inquiry to see if I could find some useful nomenclature, and Brave gave me the whole shebang. And it’s good, is it not? The Classic, the Palm, the Claw- I’ve seen ‘em all! And that line, It’s a way of communicating without speaking, often interpreted as “Howdy. Safe travels, my friend.”
Howdy, Safe travels, my friend?! That’s funny. I’m going to chuckle thinking of that next time I wave.
Come on, no computer came up with that stuff. The AI is obviously just cribbing off of an article somewhere, isn’t it?? (I hope so.) The point is, AI knew exactly what I needed for this substack article and provided it in full. It could be that in a short number of years I could just plug in the characters, locations and scenes and give AI the topic or subject and voilà, a funny, engaging and informative article in my own writing style is ready to go in seconds. Please don’t tell me we’re there yet. I used to laugh at the idea of those luddites sabotaging the spinning machines but now I’m thinking they might have had an idea whose time has come.
Back to my contribution:
Lately I get the impression that the Friendly Wave is becoming less common. Some folks like Ed Masterson still wave all the time (even from shotgun!) but the number of drivers not responding to a wave or not initiating the wave is growing. I mentioned in an earlier stack that Lars Hansen’s wife Nellie had complained about a neighborhood guy she often passed who never waved back. Lars, the lifelong Montanan laughed it off as just a country cowboy minding his own business. He said, “Dave doesn’t mean any harm,” but I could tell Nellie didn’t like the unrequited neighborliness. “He should wave back!” Lars just closed his eyes, shook his head and smiled.
I’m with Nellie: Wave back you miscreant!
Overthinking things as usual, when I get the cold shoulder after my friendly roadway solicitation, I do let it bother me. Then if it happens again a few times, it doesn’t just bother, it starts to fester in my mind (Lars is reading this and really shaking his head now.)
Well, the wave is one of the special things about this state so I have a system that will both free me from irritation and promote the continuance of this quaint custom. Remember that commercial with 80s hottie Heather Locklear selling Faberge Organics shampoo? I told two friends, and they told two friends, and so on and so on.
I’m gonna do that. I’m gonna ‘tell’ two friends and leave it at that. That’s gonna be my system and I’m not gonna worry about it. I’ll make sure I do the friendly wave as I leave home in the morning. I won’t get steamed if Joe Blow doesn’t wave back. I’m gonna go right ahead and wave to the next guy. If the next guy waves, then we’re back at square one and a clean slate, starting our day with a smile. Chances are, I won’t get two non-waves in a row and I’ll keep waving all the livelong day, bringing joy to the world! But woe to the world if I get snubbed twice in a row. I won’t let it bother me, and I’ll be done initiating the waving until tomorrow.
Anybody is welcome to adopt my system. And from now on, two consecutive non-waves and that’s it!
