I don’t always go 12-for-12, but when I do…well, it’s been a good day.

I had such a day recently. I was not playing baseball, or any sport for that matter. I was walking.

I’ve been trying to pay more attention to fitness, watching what I eat and being more consistent with exercise. I’ve chosen walking as my path to get back to running someday. In more ways than one, that’s a long road forward. Be that as it may, I walk around the neighborhood four or five times a week. There are enough changes in elevation to provide a good workout, there are enough deer to make me feel like I’m walking through a fairy tale land full of animals, and there are enough crows and ravens to usually provide a nice break in the silence of walking. I never, ever listen to music while walking.  I listen to whatever I hear…cicadas if I walk in the evening, “hellos” from neighbors and strangers, mockingbirds mocking, and so on. I also see whatever there is to see, which leads me to my 12-for-12 day.

I walk against traffic. If someone is inadvertently going to hit me, I want to see them coming so I can get out of the way instead of being surprised from behind by someone who is distracted with a phone call or text message. In other words, I can see people headed my way. And that means that I can wave when people who are heading my way move over a bit to give me some leeway. I wave as a greeting and as a sign of appreciation for them providing me the extra space. The other day, I waved to 12 cars headed my way, and 12 drivers waved back. That’s a good day, for me and, hopefully, for them.

I used to work at a university that had a beautiful environment of trees that is similar to the area that I live in now. Many times, as I was driving onto campus in the morning, I would encounter an old man who was jogging through campus and he always waved. I always waved in return. I loved starting my days with his wave and smile.

Waving is good medicine for the waver and the wavee. You might not always get a return wave, but some days you might just bat a thousand.  And that is a great day.