Hi All! Have you missed me? If you have been wondering where I’ve been, well, I’ve been sitting in front of my computer every day for a good part of the day searching for a job. Yes, still unemployed 🙁 (Do you know anyone who needs an IT project manager – or any kind of project manager???) I think about the blog all the time, and I compose posts in my head, but I feel guilty if I spend any time writing vs. looking for a job.
So, why now? Well, it’s Christmas! I wanted to wish you all happy holidays. I thought about what my number 1 holiday wish is, and I decided on “Peace”.
As most of you know, I drive a Jeep Wrangler. When I was telling my hair stylist how I had ordered my Jeep Wrangler. She asked me if I knew about the waving.
“What waving?”
“It’s a thing – when you see another Jeep Wrangler coming in the opposite direction, you wave to that Jeep, and they wave back.”
I hadn’t known about it, but I loved the idea. On my first ride, I was anxiously looking for the first Jeep Wrangler I passed. Sure enough, they waved. I waved. It was so cool! It took me a little while to get into the groove of it. What hand should I use? Should I take it off the wheel or the stick? There was the full five-finger wave, then there was the “lift four fingers off the steering wheel” wave. When the top was down or windows open, there was the “drag your left hand out the window (or door if the owner had taken off the doors). I was thrilled when I got my first wave, and I was disappointed at my first snub. Overall, though, 99% of the other Jeep Wrangler drivers would wave, and I begin to realize what a positive an friendly tradition it is.
My husband and kids thought it was fun too, and they wondered how the tradition started. I did some research, and a logical explanation seems to be from WWII when Jeeps (GP – General Purpose) were used frequently to transport troops. The driver and/or passengers would offer a friendly wave – or maybe even a salute – to the oncoming Jeep to show comradery. The tradition followed the soldiers into civilian life.
My Jeep Wrangler at Christmas time.
After my awkward beginning, I finally decided that my signature wave would be the peace sign. I like the irony of turning what started from a military tradition into a wish for peace. And, I do consciously say “peace” when I offer my sign. Peace for the other driver, peace for me, peace for the world. It’s just a moment, but for that moment I think of peace.
So, that’s my Christmas wish for you all. Certainly, after the year that this country has experienced, and for the coming year, we need to wish for peace – peace of mind, peace with our neighbors, peace in the world.
I hope that this is the beginning of posting here again, so be on the look out for new tips, recipes, and, of course, my “Monday Musings”. In the meantime, feel free to check out some of my previous posts on managing the holidays: Holiday Planning, Things to do NOW to plan for the holidays, Wish List Apps, and Christmas Organization
