With two armloads of shopping bags, courtesy of my trip to Target, I was first in line as the bus pulled up to my pickup point. As I maneuvered myself on, fare card in hand, podcast playing in my ear, the bus driver waved his fingers at me.
I was caught off guard. He was wearing shades so I couldn’t read his expression and due to the volume of my podcast, I wasn’t entirely certain the gesture had been accompanied by words. These observations along with the awareness of the line of people still waiting to board behind me, I quickly shifted my bags, dislodged one of my ear buds and said, “I’m sorry, what?”
“Nothing,” he replied with ease. “I was just waving at you.”
Basically, he’d just been engaging in a nonverbal hello.
And it was so pleasantly unexpected, that on the heels of his response, I beamed with unexpected joy and said, “Well, hello! Hi! Thank you!”
I then dipped my fare card to pay, before making my way to a seat further into the bus.
Do you know that brief exchange had me smiling my entire bus ride? To the point that, as I was exiting via the back, when he looked up at the rear view mirror, I waved enthusiastically at him. I was still headed a few steps in the direction he was going, and he actually waited as I was passing by the front entrance, to say a verbal goodbye, before driving off.
I think the experience touched me because it surprised me as well as felt like he took the time to initiate connecting with me in such a simple, grounded and pleasant way. It was surprising because often, though not always, I’m the one initiating hellos to the drivers whose buses I board.
Because he had his shades on during our brief encounter, I’m uncertain I’ll recognize him if I ever see him again. But the exchange lives on in memory where I’m certain to pay a return visit.