Week 15 - "honk and wave at some people you don't know"

Waving at random people

     I don't know which one of you came up with this idea, but I suspect it was Jess.  It reminds me of something that my best friend, Debbie, would think of.  She is the type of person who will do anything, try anything, say anything... and have fun doing it.  I, however, am a little more reserved and this "adventure" was actually difficult for me.
     This week I went to Pana and spent the day with my mother for her 84th birthday.  We visited cemeteries, went out to eat and then spent the afternoon looking through boxes of pictures.  We had a great day.  At the end of the afternoon when I got in the car to start the hour drive from Pana to Charleston, I thought that this might be the time to loosen my inhibitions and see if I could honk and wave at strangers.  But I had to set some ground rules for myself first:  (1) wear sunglasses so the strangers don't recognize me; (2) only honk and wave at people who are NOT going in my direction (I didn't want anyone following me to find out why I was so rude); and (3) lock my car doors so someone wouldn't jump in my moving vehicle (it made sense at the time).
     There are several towns on the way to Charleston:  Pana, Gays, Tower Hill, Windsor, Shelbyville, and Mattoon.  I honked and waved at people as I slowed down going through the towns.  Is it normal to be embarrassed by your actions when you are completely by yourself?  Bill was off the hook. He wasn't with me. For some reason I could hear my mother's voice in my head saying, "Ladies don't do that!"  It probably ranks right up there with picking your nose or making bodily noises. I can't even make myself say the word 'fart'.  Ladies don't do those things!
     Anyway, by the end of the hour I was kinda having fun.  I kept track of how many people I honked and waved at.  Of the twelve people I honked at, six waved back at me.  All six were walking on the sidewalks and just naturally waved and smiled at me.  The six that didn't wave were all in vehicles.  Six of twelve is a pretty impressive figure I think.  50% waved back at me!  This got me thinking about the friendliness of the Midwest.  I have always thought that central Illinois was a good place to live and raise children.  People like each other and are naturally friendly.  I wonder what the statistics would be in Chicago or New York.  Perhaps I might experiment with that someday when we run out of other "excellent adventures".