A Friendly Wave

When I went to my first full time appointment to the Brookport-Powers charge in deep southern Illinois, I had to adjust to a ritual I learned there, especially when I was driving around the country roads near the open-country Powers church. People waved at me from their vehicles. I had not had that experience growing up in oh-so-cosmopolitan Carbondale. An old man with overalls and a cigar in mouth driving an old chevy pick up, he waved; a young man driving an International Harvester combine, he waved; a teenager driving her Camero way too fast for the curves even took the time to wave. Now I don't mean these folks gave me a full-armed "wave it back and forth" wave---oftentimes the waves were must more subtle than that---an index finder lifted off the steering wheel most often, or even a tip of a cap once in a while if they saw what gender that girl was who was driving the green Dodge Dart. I liked it, really. I even began waving first.
When I came on the district, I realized this wave thing was not just limited to southern Illinois. Even in northwestern Missouri, good country folks still know how to greet friend and stranger alike with the lift of a finger or even a full handed wave. It is just something you do when you meet somebody coming across route E or W or K --- you wave.
However, I was a bit discombobulated this morning when I got a wave from a jogger in Loose Park. I take Cabie to school by driving down Broadway, then Wornall, then 75th, then south on Main. On Wornall in west Brookside, there is the marvelous Loose Park which is my favorite park in Kansas City. The story goes that Jacob Loose, a Jewish business man a couple of generations ago, was refused membership in the country club that existed where the park is today. So he bought the club and turned it into a park. Anyway, this morning, I was driving south on Wornall, passing by Loose park, when a guy, probably 40 or so, perhaps of Hispanic descent, jogging, waved at me. A real wave. Did I know him? No. And I noticed he waved at the person in the next car too. What was he, a little slow or something to be waving at everybody?
Hmmm...really, why was he waving? Was he going out to the country today and practicing? Was he visiting from some other country where joggers wave at any car that gets good gas mileage? Was he just having a good day and wanted to be friendly?
Really the question is, why did that seem odd to me? Waving is a good thing. Really. I hope I see him tomorrow as we drive south and I will try to wave first.