i drive many a back road on my way to and from work. i kinda like it. in the mornings, i use the hour or so of straight country to prepare myself for what will inevitably be a shitty day. in the afternoons, i unwind and mentally develop a lesson plan for that night's class. if it's a friday, i simply unwind.

however, mornings are my favorite. i was trying to figure out why and i've discovered that even though i hate mornings and i hate the hour or so drive through straight country, i love the greeters.

do y'all have those? our greeters consist of several elderly men scattered across three counties. they stand by the side of the road and wave at you as you pass. they each have a different style of waving too. one does a still hand in the air salute-type wave and another does a furious wag. still another puts his hand straight out and moves it as he would if he were shaking your hand.

there are no greeters in the afternoon and the drive is so empty without them. sometimes the greeters do other stuff when there are no cars passing, like the elderly black man who chops wood or the old white guy who plucks weeds out of the ditches. however, some just stand there waiting for you.

i don't know what their purpose is or if they know each other or if there's some coalition to greet all the commuters, but they're there. every morning. with a smile and wave.

i will miss that.