There’s a neighbourhood boy that lives with his family around the corner from me. I first saw him more than 10 years ago when he was playing out in the street and we waved as I passed by.
We’ve continued the neighbourly wave over time. He plays footy out in the street, I drive by each day on the way to and from work.
I think over the years, I’ve met him and his family only a couple of times when they lost their pet rabbit and were searching for it and I lost one of my cockatiels.
Turns out they had caught my pet bird in their backyard! (thank you!) I had a whistle routine going with my bird and when I whistled to him, he’d whistle back the same whistle. As I drove past their house and whistled out the car window, I heard him whistle back. They’d thankfully put him in a cage near the window.
Anyway, I don’t know the families’ name, or the boys. But each day in the afternoon we have our tradition where I drive past when he’s playing footy and we wave and have a laugh.
It started as a quick wave and a smile. Then over the years I realised, it was helping both of us each day for a few seconds. So I started doing stupid waves and he did too, it gave us both a laugh at the end of the day when we were about to unwind. For now, it’s settled into a double aloha shaka or hang loose wave and we always get a laugh.
Over the years we’ve kept it going and I realised, it’s been more than ten years! I’ve seen his mates come and go and now he’s a young man and footy with his mates is really rough.
Now, his whole mob, cousins and regular visitors and the whole lot wave. Sometimes they catch me unaware and I have to be quick to return it cause I’m just expecting my lil’ (not so much now) neighbour mate. There’s that saying, from little things big things grow. And the news seems to have spread that the guy in the ute always does a silly wave.
We keep our tradition going, each afternoon that we cross paths. A small energy exchange. A chance to make the other one laugh. A quick burst of friendship across the street, fleeting but fun and I like to think it makes both our days a little bit brighter.
