Every Day Is Special: February 7 – Wave All Your Fingers at the Neighbors Day

February 7 – Wave All Your Fingers at the Neighbors Day

Posted on February 7, 2018

This may seem silly, but apparently there is a serious reason for this holiday.

If we want to have peace as humans, we must start locally, building good relationships with our families, of course, but also with our neighbors and wider communities.

Acknowledgement of our neighbors as we pass - even if we are really busy scurrying to our car or driving somewhere important - doesn't have to be a curt nod or a one-finger up or brief hand-up "wave." If we think about raising our whole hand and taking the time to wave all of our fingers - and add in a smile - that teensy bit more time and effort could pay off in warmer feelings.

Maybe some days you do have the time to greet your neighbor...ask about her dog or his kids...chat about the weather...

I did some work with Knock Every Door, and that is an exercise in asking questions and then listening to people rather than telling them things. I was surprised that several people said how pleased they were to have someone who was interested in listening to their ideas. One woman said that nobody had ever done that before (I assume she means that no stranger-at-the-door, or maybe no stranger at all, had ever asked her opinions and then really listened to what she had to say).

That experience got me to thinking - maybe, as we move through life, we can take bit more time to ask folks questions and really listen to their answers.

Waving around the world

Of course, human cultures are diverse, and not everybody sees waving the same way. According to Wikipedia, many people in Nigeria, South Korea, and other places see what is considered a friendly gesture in the U.S. to be offensive.