Hello, stranger!

Walking home from the coffee shop yesterday, I was feeling a bit lonely. Joe was going to be in class until ten, just like the night before, so I would have to entertain myself somehow. I didn't want to grade anymore, and I was sulking down the sidewalk, wishing I had a friend or two to waste the evening with.  I was also listening to Regina Spektor songs and trying to keep the straps of my overstuffed backpack from ripping through my shoulders when this guy across the street enthusiastically waived my way. Because it seemed like an I'm so glad to see you kind of waive, I turned around to see who was behind me. No one. I turned back to see the guy's lips moving, so I took off my headphones. "What's that?" I shouted across the street.

"I was waiving at you!" he yelled through his hands.

"Oh. Hi!" I shouted back and waived. Then the guy continued walking downtown.

I don't know what to do with this. I've never been waived at by a complete stranger before, unless it was a thanks for letting me cut in front of you waive, or a you go first waive. But never a hi over there, I don't know you but I'm waiving to you from across the street anyway waive. Maybe he sensed my loneliness and just wanted to be friendly. Maybe he thought he knew me but then realized he didn't so pretended like he meant to waive at me.

Either way, it put a smile on my face for a least a few blocks. And when I got back to sulking, a guy waiting for a bus said good evening and asked how I was. And so continued my walk home, one kind expression or comment after another until I realized there's a lot of great people in Spokane.