Because Flossie and I walk around our neighbourhood every day, over time, we’ve accumulated many people we nod, wave and chat to.
These aren’t just fellow walkers. Sometimes they are neighbours driving past.
Unfortunately, I don’t always recognise them.
I’ll catch sight of an arm with a waving hand reaching out of a car window. But, there’s almost no chance of me knowing who they are when the light is glaring off the windscreen.
I’ve learnt to identify some wavers by their cars and I always reciprocate, even if I’m not sure who I’m greeting.
If I don’t know who I’ve waved at, it bothers me for the rest of the walk. Who was that? Did I wave in an appropriately friendly manner? Or did I do one of those semi-salutes as if I was in a hurry and now they think I was slightly offhand?
There’s virtually no excuse for failing to identify people when they’re not in cars.
The other week, Flossie and I were walking along our local lane which runs adjacent to a popular dog walking field.
I saw two women, who I thought I knew, making their way across the field. This was confirmed by the dogs with them. How nice, I thought. I haven’t seen Maggie and Tina for ages.
I raised my hand enthusiastically. It was one of those waves with a wide, sweeping action from side to side, as if I was hailing a low-flying aircraft.
As the women approached, they looked puzzled. In fact, I think my energetic gestures may have alarmed them.
I looked more closely at them, and at the dogs.
I did not know them.
I felt really silly. I couldn’t even disguise my wave by turning into a head scratch or similar.
So, I called out an inane apology and Flossie and I went on our way, at speed.
I suppose the positive from the situation is that they may have thought I was friendly, albeit rather overly so.
As seen in the Bath Chronicle, 25 July 2024
Suzy Pope is a certified copywriter and newspaper columnist specialising in pets, business and lifestyle. If you would like help with a writing project, please get in touch.
