by Ron Campbell

Ok so it’s four o’clock in the morning.  I have been awakened by the sounds of the night in Floyd.  Maybe it was the cat who wants out if she is in, or in if she is out.  Or was it the dog who tippy taps outside the bedroom door because there might be raccoons snooping around on the porch and she feels I need to know about it.   Or maybe she just heard the horse banging his water bucket around at the barn because he ate too much alfalfa and drank all of his water.  For whatever reason, I’m up and pondering the question of whether or not to wave at the driver of the car coming in my direction.   Yep that’s the question of the night.

You might be thinking there are better things to do at four o’clock in the morning, but it’s a thought that has concerned me for fifteen years.  At this early hour, though, I think I just might be able to answer this question for new-comers to Floyd…or ‘fer-ners’ as we are sometimes referred to in jest by my neighbor down the road, bless her heart!  Yep I’m one of them fer-ners, and I’m ok with this label because the native Floydians seemed to have welcomed me into the fold a bit.

I came to Floyd about fifteen years ago, and the first thing I noticed was that it was a very friendly place.  I also noticed that the pace among the Floyd population, in general, was a lot less frantic than what you’d find in cities like Atlanta or New York.  Going to town and such, I observed that as I drove around and passed drivers on the road, people most always waved.  This created some problems for my logical mind.  It challenged me to decide whether or not to join in on all this waving, and if I did, how to do it at the ooooh so important proper time.  Not wanting to be rude, I told myself that I have to get a handle on this or else forever be a “fer ner” (bless her heart).

When I was young, say nine, we would visit my grandparent’s farm in Darlington Heights, Virginia.  Travelling around the countryside there, the people we passed would raise their index finger off the steering wheel and wave as we passed.  The first question I asked my dad, as I sat in the front seat with no seat belt, (they weren’t invented yet so don’t be alarmed) was, “do you know those people?”  And he would say “nope”.  My next question was, “then why did you wave”?  The answer that came back was “we just want each other to know that we are friendly”.  What a beautiful thing to be taught at such an early age!

Now here is what I know about waving as it pertains to Floyd.  It just might help you with your decision to wave or not, and help prevent you from over thinking it.

• First, if you are approaching a driver with his hand on the top of the steering wheel, he is probably going to wave.
• If the sunlight is shining brightly on his steering wheel, and you can see his index finger, you are more apt to time your wave properly. However, he may not wave because the sun is in his eyes and he can’t see that you have your hand on the top of your steering wheel. Oh well.
• If you are in an old truck, say 1980 or order, and they are in an old truck, they will probably give you the index-finger wave. The Floyd salute as my neighbor calls it.
• If you are in a new truck, clean and shiny, and they are in an old truck, they may not wave. I think this has something to do with who has the hardest job and who has more free time to wash his truck.
• If you are in an old truck and they are in a new truck, don’t bother to wave, it’s probably a young, full of vinegar, “I’m really cool” kind of guy, heading to pick up his girl.
• If you are in a car, and they are in a truck, don’t waste your time.
• If you are in a truck, and they are in a car, it’s your call.
• If they have a baseball cap with “GJ Ingram” or “CW Harman’s” or “Wills Ridge Hardware” stitched on them, they will absolutely give you an index finger nod.
• And for sure… if you are at the stop sign turning right and they are turning left, and you can see their eyes, they are definitely going to wave. This applies to you turning left as well.

These are my observations.  Use them as guidelines.  Don’t feel bad if you wave too late.  Don’t be embarrassed if you wave and they don’t.  You will both get over it because you probably didn’t really know each other anyway.  And if you really want to feel good, wave but don’t look at them.  You will never know if you really hosed it up.  So, go ahead and wave…  It’s a very friendly place here in these mountains.  Besides, your little buddy buckled in the seat next to you just might ask why.

Ron Campbell is the owner of The Maggie Gallery. The Maggie Gallery features art, gifts, and custom framing. Come by and say hi!

187 N. Locust St, Floyd VA
facebook.com/TheMaggieGallery
www.TheMaggieGallery.com
540-745-8000