Sugar Grove
By Paula Mitchell
Folks don’t tend to wave as much anymore. Sometimes the writer thinks she lives in the last place on earth where they still do.
People don’t have a free hand now, she supposes. They steer with one and text with the other, so that wonderful serendipity of living, of seeing what the road brings one, is lost forever. A tiny thing, when contemplates the issue, but it kind of breaks the writer’s heart.
The writer recalls the late Irwin Propst who waved to every oncoming vehicle on his way and to and from work. What a great way to begin the day…wishing the oncoming persons a great day!
One should have the good manners not to act like one is better than a person’s neighbor. Luckily there was a test for that.
There was a time when, during the harsh sweaty grip of summer, the only air conditioning was the open window of the car being ridden in. Whenever a vehicle was thought to be recognized, people would wave. Almost every time, the people inside would wave back — almost.
Small children riding as passengers are allowed to wave at anybody and should be waved back to because it’s a nice thing to do and provides a bit of a human connection during a long boring trip in the back of the car while visiting grandma.
Waving is also only done to oncoming vehicles. A person does not wave to vehicles that one is overtaking or who are overtaking one. A person also doesn’t wave to stationary vehicles or to vehicles in the lane beside one. Only oncoming drivers count.
Waving really takes place in rural areas and in places where the traffic is light. In the country, another driver is another human traveling along in metal bubbles, enjoying the large and mostly empty landscape.
There are various types of waves.
- The one finger wave — with both hands remaining on the steering wheel, one index finger is raised.
- The two finger salute — the index and second finger is raised while the other fingers continue to grip the steering wheel.
- The chin nod — using the chin instead of the hand.
- The palm — the entire hand lifts off the steering wheel to show the palm to oncoming drivers.
- Courtesy wave — the left hand holds the wheel while the right hand flaps back and forth.
- Thank you wave — right hand raises near the rear view mirror to thank the driver behind for allowing one to join in the flow of traffic.
- The touch index finger to cap bill and the out of the window left hand wave is reserved exclusively for good friends.
- The gotcha wave is given to someone a person doesn’t know, accompanied with a friendly grin.
Only rural areas seem to have mastered the art of waving, but this too is becoming a dying art of friendship.
Life’s little instructions to guide one through each day include the following:
- Do a little extra.
- Say, “Good morning.”
- Welcome the stranger.
- Be humble.
- Be kind.
The community is eager for a dapple of rain, starved for the revival of cooler mountain breezes, and dozens of flowers sitting out on the porches to wonder at their beauty. The gardens, that haven’t been ravaged by rabbits, groundhogs, raccoons, deer, and turtles, are giving their best. Tomatoes are debating whether to come on all at once, or not. Farmers have yet to get a second cutting of hay.
This week’s quotes are as follows:
“The hum of bees is the voice of the garden.” — Elizabeth Lawrence
“Ah, summer, what power you have to have to make us suffer and like it.” — Russell Baker
“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” — Shirley Chishold
“You must remember that some things legally right are not morally right.” — Abraham Lincoln
“Being kind in this world can have a big impact.” — Caylie Simmons
Sitting with feet in cold water is the best place to hear the “Talk of the Grove.”
Nancy Enyart has retired after many years of service with the Pendleton County School Board of Education. She was well known as Brandywine Elementary School’s secretary. Her presence will be missed by the many lives she touched; however, the community celebrates her retirement. Congratulations!
The annual Mountain Mama bike race got off to an early start Saturday morning. Vehicles needed to be alert to their whereabouts, as they rounded all the turns.
Justin and Colby Simmons enjoyed a Saturday fishing trip to Smith Mountain Lake. Each caught two huge striped bass. Cloe and April went along to see them catch their fish.
Natasha Nieves of Boca Raton, Florida, is spending several days with her grandparents, Willard and Judy Rader.
Clickety-clacks for the chin waggers are as follows:
- This summer’s Olympic Games in Paris takes place exactly 100 years after the last time Paris hosted the games in 1924.
- The Grand Canyon became a United States National Park in 1919, making it one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
- Triple Crown champion Seabiscuit retired in 1940 as horse racing’s top money-winner of all time.
- The active ingredient of aspirin is found in the bark of the willow tree.
- The man who helped design Barbie was a missile engineer before producing toys. Barbie made its debut in New York in 1959.
Concerns for the week are for Bob Adamson, Dyer Anderson, John Ashley, Roger Ashley, Mercedes Aumann, Richard Bennett, “Bo” Boggs, the Marty Bowers family, Marie Cole, Christian Dasher, Benny Evick, Isaac Eye, Linda Eye, Marie Eye, Mary Eye, Carl Gant, David Gillespie, Lola Graham, Patsy Green, JC Hammer, Marlene Harman, Missy Harrison, Marvin Hartman, Steve and Armanda Heavner, Grace Hedrick, Jim Hiner, Evan Hise, Tim Hively, Alma Harper, George Hevener, Edsel and Mary Ann Hogan, Virgil Homan, Jr., Adalbert Hoover, Keith Hoover, Myrtle Hoover, Debbie and Enos Horst, Lisa and Mike Jamison, Jessica Janney, Alice Johnson, Richard Judy, Marsha Keller, Kim Kline, Ginger Knight, Tracie Knight, Laura Kropp, Melissa Lambert, Robert Lambert, Ronnie Lambert, Rex Landis, Roger and Skip Mallow, Yvonne Marsh, Ed May, Gene McConnell, Gary McDonald, Neil McLaughlin, Rose Miller, Bruce Minor, Tom Mitchell, Barbara Moats, Gloria Moats, John Morford, Bill Mullenax, Helen Nash, Aaron Nelson, Ruth Nelson, Cheryl Paine, Walt Pitsenbarger, Wanda Pitsenbarger, Andy Pond, Janice Propst, Eldon “Butch” Puffenbarger, Alda Propst, Janis Propst, Mike Propst, Sheldon Propst, the Stanley Propst family, Tom Rader, Brandon Reel, Charles Rexrode, Jason Rexrode, Linda Fay Rexrode, Pam Rexrode, Dennis Riggleman, Mike Roberts, the Rose Robinson family, Donna Ruddle, Jenny Ruddle, Mary Sawyers, the Bonnie Shanholtz family, Brittany Shriver, Annie Simmons, Barry Simmons, Greg Simmons, Phyllis Simmons, Erin Simmons, Eva Simmons, Judy Simmons, Nelson Simmons, Robbie Sites, Mike Skiles, Tina Stuben, Steve Stump, Elizabeth Terry, Linda and Larry Vandevander, Sandra Vandevander, Amy Vaus, Estelle Wagner, Rene White, Judy Williams, Ann and Ed Wimer and Margaret Wimer.
