eccentrics

[gurdonark]

When I was in law school in Little Rock, a daily fixture on the morning commute was Dr. Love. Dr. Love stood on the side of the road, just off "main drag" Markham Boulevard, and would smile and wave at every passing motorist. He was an older man, whose wife, termed "Mrs. Dr. Love", sometimes joined him in his smiling and waving. As is the way with such fellows, he got little capsule features in local media. I knew a soul or two who stopped to talk to Dr. Love, who passed out materials which attested that he was some form of "certified" love-ologist and sex-ologist. Apparently, he had a healing mission for the world, which began with waving on the streets at drivers, but ended up a new form of sexual (or love-ual) revolution. I'm not sure folks in Arkansas particularly needed instruction on sexual revolution, as although my own life has been remarkably prosaic, it was always my observation that Arkansans had their revolution long before the 1960s. Nonetheless, Dr. Love was a local fixture, to whom one waved back.

As I write this, an e mail offers to make me $ 50,000 in merely 90 days. Everybody is peddling salvation, but I'm concerned that salvation, like healthy eating, doesn't come in a cost-free box. But today I'm pausing to remember all the Dr. Loves of the world, who don't save me, but despite their idiosyncracies, make my world a more livable place.

Comments

[reneesarah.livejournal.com]

There used to be a retired man who used to walk along El Camino in the morning, stopping at corners to wave to people going by in their cars. Some days he wore a sign that said "Have a nice day!". His golden retriever walked with him, and I swear that dog always seemed to be smiling.

I always waved at him as I drove past, with a thankfulness for his kindness to strangers. Part of what he seemd to be saying was that kindness and a kind of shared human empathy between strangers was possible, and that engaging in it was worth the effort. He offered his testimony to the worthiness of the effort every day he stood out there and waved.

This anonymous agape on his part would sometimes bring me close to tears on days when I was feeling particularly vulnerable to the loneliness that sometimes cannot be escaped when driving somewhere you don't particularly want to go in your car.

He has been gone for years now, and I have no idea what happened to him. I read about another man in the East Bay who retired and became a waving man, and kept it up for twenty years. He eventually had to retire even from waving because he became ill and then died. There were stories in the newspaper article about how his waving changed some peoples lives. Because sometimes even a wave from a stranger, a smile, can be a tipping point into something new and wonderful.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I like that phrase 'anonymous agape'. that sums something up for me!

[mockinggreylock.livejournal.com]

Here in the SFBayArea, I was first introduced to the waving of motorcyclists -- they wave at eachother, although the Harley riders seem to only wave at other Harley riders. Silly elitests. After finally acquiring one of my own and learning to ride, I've become the avid waver myself, save for when I need my left hand to clutch or *clutch!*

I also wave at bus drivers, police, firemen, CDF, and random children (the kids in my neighborhood shout "do a wheelie!"). Oh, and people who take turnouts to let me pass. Seems like a little friendliness goes a long way. It's such an impersonal world we live in...it's no wonder to me that little things like waving are such a touching kindness.

I should ride more often...

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

You're right--you should ride--and wave! more often :)

[mesawyou.livejournal.com]

in DC, there is the "Compliment Man" who stands on 18th street every weekend giving compliments to the people who pass by.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Cool, in fact, very cool. There are says when I could use a compliments man :)