Greetings from Texas. Jolene Navarro here and I’m over the moon excited about joining this fabulous group. I thought for my first post I would introduce myself. Anyone that knows me knows I’m proud to be a seventh generation Texan.
In the truck watching the hill country pass by my window I was thinking about how to introduce myself without putting you to sleep. I thought I could start with giving away my latest project, a collection of Christmas stories (more about that later).
Back to the drive
Texas back roads cows & clouds – Jolene Navarro
My husband waved to the truck heading east as we drove west into the setting sun on this curvy back road. He didn’t know the person. He waved because we are travelers sharing the same road.
Growing up it was understood that you greet people as they pass you, even if your paths crossed for just that moment. Didn’t matter if you were walking, jogging, driving or on horseback. You take to time to acknowledge each other. Like a little howdy as you go through your day.
We were raised that being polite, being friendly was a way to show respect.
Another car headed toward us and my husband did the two finger wave again with his hand on the top of the steering wheel. This time I took a picture (That’s what I do).
The Texas Road Wave- Jolene Navarro
He, of course shot me a glare and wanted to know what I was up too now.
I asked him if he was taught to do that, the waving to people on the road. He thought about it and said, no. Growing up, his family worked on a ranch between Leakey and Rocksprings, Texas. In the deep hill country where cows out number people about 1000 to 1. It was something everyone did.
I thought about my own childhood. My parents where from the same area in Texas as my husband. I grew up watching my parent’s wave and when I started driving, I in turned waved.
Maybe it had to do with living in the country. You didn’t see many people, so when you did you took the time to say hi.
As a teenager I babysat for a couple from California. They asked me about the waving thing.
They said at first it confused and worried them that people they didn’t recognize waved at them. Why were strangers saying Hi while drive 70 miles per hour down the road?
That was the first time I realized not everyone had the same experiences or expectations. I still smile at people while I’m walking and wave as I drive past you.
Not as many wave back now.
Texas is one of the fastest growing states in the union and maybe people just didn’t grow up waving at strangers. Or maybe we ‘re all in a rush to get somewhere, we forget to enjoy where we’re at and don’t take the time to see the people we are passing on our journey.
So this is me waving at you (along with three of my four kids).
Jolene Navarro and three of four kids saying hi.
We might or might not know each other yet but you never know when a stranger will become a friend.
So is waving to passing cars a Texas thing or a country thing? Where do you live and do you wave to other drivers on the road?
Oh, and as promised for everyone that takes the time to stop by and say hi, I’ll put your name in a drawing for this great collection of six Christmas novella ebooks that includes: Leah Atwood, Belle Calhoune, Kristen Ethridge, Danica Favorite & Jessica Keller. My story is Forever Christmas Kiss in the Mistletoe Memories: 6 New Inspirational Holiday Romances. If you don’t win you can still get the set for .99 cents. Check us out at the link below.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZPNPOY
If you want to find us on Facebook we will be giving even more gifts away Thursday night at a facebook party. :) It will be on each of the author’s page.
Looking forward to getting to know everyone!
Jolene’s life, much like her stories, is filled with faith, family, and all of life's wonderful messiness. She knows that, as much as the world changes, people stay the same. Good and evil. Vow-keepers and heart breakers. Jolene married a vow-keeper who showed her that holding hands and dancing in the rain never gets old. She loves creating stories of love and faith in her much loved Texas.
Welcome, Jolene! It’s great to have you join us. During our evening walks through the neighborhood, I always wave to passing cars. Often I’ll get surprised looks from those who don’t live in our development. I also say hello to those I pass on the city streets. Funny how some look at you as though you’ve got three heads. :)
Jolene, welcome to Inspy Romance. Thanks for your blog and a little bit of Texan culture. As I stop by, I am waving from the southern part of magnificent Eastern shores of Lake Michigan. We have romantic sunsets here.
I am looking forward to reading your romance Forever Christmas Kiss in the boxed set Mistletoe Memories: 6 New Inspirational Holiday Romances, which is on my Kindle but haven’t had time to read yet. Best wishes.
I think it may be a regional thing. I am also from Texas and my Daddy did the same wave. He grew up in Oklahoma so I don’t know if he grew up doing it or if he learned it after he moved here.
I don’t do the wave so much but I always smile at people and say hi.
Thank you for the chance to win a copy of this book.
We say hi when we are walking and pass people. We live in northern Virginia close to DC, so there are a lot of people to say hi to. We don’t wave when driving unless it is to say thank you to someone who let us in to the lane or turn. Thank you for the insight into Texas. Thank you for writing.
Jolene, great to have you join us. :)
I grew up in a semi-rural part of Australia, and we did the same thing. The area has become a lot more developed, so less people wave, and people who don’t know are confused by it. In crowded England where I live now, anyone who smiles and waves at strangers gets treated like they’re crazy.
I know which version I prefer! Travellers on the same road. I like that. We all are travelling.
G’day Jolene:) I grew up in rural northern Australia and on the back roads, everyone waved. Whenever I go home to visit family, my dad still waves on the back roads around the farm. My husband and I now live in a beautiful town 40 minutes from our states’ capital city- no waving, but I love that when I shop in town, I recognise people, shopkeepers recognise me, we stop to chat. My kids are known by the lifeguards at the pool, we visit our local farmers market each month and always meet someone we know. All the advantages of small town, while living so close to the city!
LOL – It’s might be a sad statement of where we are as a society when people thinks it weird that you say hi. :) Thanks doe the welcome.
Thank you. Sunsets are my favorite – I have thousands of pictures. Put it over the water and I bet yours is breathtaking. Hope you enjoy the stories.
Hello. Thank you for stoping by and saying hi.
Hello, Diana. There are a great deal of people in you neck of the woods – we’ve been there a couple of time. Thank you for stopping by.
I always thought Australians and Texans had a great deal in common. :) I love the small town feel where people know you. Might be why I write small town. I’m the same – we live out in the Hill COuntry, but only 30 min for San Antonio. Thank you so much for stopping by.
It seems to me Australia and Texas has a lot in common. Thank you so much for stopping by. Enjoy your travels. :)
Waving at you from Southwest Virginia! I grew up waving and wave when I am on back roads. People don’t wave on the 4 lane highway, unless someone lets you over. I find more and more that even on the back roads, people don’t wave as much as they used to. It’s great seeing you here!
So it looks like back roads people are just friendlier. Or maybe it’s the people here. :) Thanks for the wave.
Hi, Jolene! I grew up in a small farming town in northeastern Oklahoma, and yes, people waved to each other. Of course, when I began driving, I did the same thing. It’s a nice way of saying ‘Hi’ and connecting to those around you, even if you can’t stop to visit.
Hello Linda! So happy to see you here. Thank you for stopping by to visit. :) Will you be at West Texas Writer’s Academy this summer?
Jolene, happy to have you join us. I wave and say hi to strangers when I’m walking but not when driving.
It must be a country thing because most people around here in our rural southern Illinois farming community are road wavers as well.
Hello Merrille, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you NOT smiling. You have a great one. Thank you for stopping by. Smiling back and waving.
Beth I’m starting to agree with you. Seems to be a small town, back roads thing. Which is one reason I think people love reading about small town communities. Thank you for stopping by and saying hi.
My parents, who are from rural Kansas, often wave (and I do it more often when I’m at home – not so much here in South Carolina). At home they don’t use two fingers though, just one (index finger of whichever hand is on the wheel).
I love that the type of wave is different. Thank you for sharing.
I love the whole waving idea. When my husband and I moved to Ithaca, NY we were negatively impressed by rude people and how no one seemed to care (or even noticed that there were other people around)… that was mostly outside church environment and church was the only place we ever felt surrounded by people aware that there were others around them. It was a surprise when, a couple of years after moving, we discovered this municipal park hidden near our home where people waved at each other and greeted each other all the time. No need to say we started hanging out there more often. It was more than the notion of being acknowledged as another human being sharing the same space, but almost a notion of being welcomed to this local’s safe haven.
What a lovely story – so happy you found a place that welcomed you. We all want to belong. I think of the TV show cheers! Where everyone knows your name. :)
Hi Jolene,
It depends on where you’re at here in Colorado. Rural Colorado, yes! In our old neighborhood in the suburbs, yes! But a lot of places, especially in the city, not so much. At our house, even though we’re now in a small mountain town, since we live on the highway, you only get a one-fingered wave. :( But sometimes, when I go visit my friends on their winding mountain roads, people give a regular wave. :)
Seems country people are just nice – or maybe so excited to see another person they have to wave. :) Thanks for saying hi.
I loved to watch Cheers. I even visited the alleged location in Boston.
Also, we just moved out.. and last time we visited we didn’t get a chance to go there (unfortunately). We’re now in a big city, so I guess I can’t expect any welcome. I do like our neighborhood though and although we’re renting, we’ve been thinking about getting a house here.
Hope you find a new place to connect.
I’m planning on being there, Jolene. Going to try to bring a friend or two with me. We’ll see.
I believe the “wave” is a country thing. My rural Virginia community is all about waving to each other as you drive by. Head to the closest metropolitan area and there is no waving. In fact, if you do, it may be taken as an insult and not as a kindness. Like you and your husband, it is just something we do because our parents set the example before us. Personally, I would like to see more waving as a sign of acknowledgement, courtesy, and respect all over the world. A simple wave and a smile could help overcome a world of hurt. I have Mistletoe Memories and am on the third book in the set. The stories have been so sweet; I’m looking forward to reading yours, Jolene. Welcome to Inspy Romance!
Thank you Stacey, I agree. If we took the time to see the others around us we would be more connected. A smile and wave go along way. Hope you enjoy the rest of the stories.