Why engineers wave
Recently on one of the train discussion sites I frequent, there was a discussion as to why engineers and conductors wave from the cab of a locomotive.
Today I saw the best response. Credit to the "author" known as surflinerhogger:
Every day as I make my way up the hill toward Irvine from San Juan Capistrano headed for L.A., just a couple of miles north of the San Juan station, there's a relatively new convelescent home on my right. There's a little patio area facing the tracks, and there they sit, waiting for the train to come by every afternoon around 1:25. An elderly man and woman, easily in their late 70's or early 80's. She is a beautiful white-hared grandma, and he is a handsome fellow who cannot see. I don't know their names, and we've never spoken a word to each other, but we have become friends over the past five months....by simply waving and smiling at each other as I pass by. Yesterday, a young woman came up to me on the platform at San Juan (it's where I get off the engine and stretch a bit) and asked if I was the engineer that always toots the horn and waves at the old folks on the patio. I said yes, and she burst into a massive smile from ear to ear. She told me she was a care giver at the home and when I go by and lean out the window with my big wave, it makes their day. She told me they love seeing the trains go by because it reminds them of when they were younger and the train was the only way to travel. She said that when we wave, it reminds them of the way things used to be. My conductor gave me his wave which meant we had to go. I said goodbye without getting any names, climbed back on my engine, whistled off and started up the hill. Sure enough, there they were. And we waved and smiled at each other. Friends, without even knowing our names......all because of a wave. I lost my mom a few years back, and dad died when I was eighteen. So I guess in my own mind, they'll fit perfectly into that gap. Next week, I'm going to pay them a surprise visit with a big bouquet of flowers, and a bottle of aftershave. And that's why I wave. We can all use another friend, even if we don't know their names. A wave is a good thing.
Today I saw the best response. Credit to the "author" known as surflinerhogger:
Every day as I make my way up the hill toward Irvine from San Juan Capistrano headed for L.A., just a couple of miles north of the San Juan station, there's a relatively new convelescent home on my right. There's a little patio area facing the tracks, and there they sit, waiting for the train to come by every afternoon around 1:25. An elderly man and woman, easily in their late 70's or early 80's. She is a beautiful white-hared grandma, and he is a handsome fellow who cannot see. I don't know their names, and we've never spoken a word to each other, but we have become friends over the past five months....by simply waving and smiling at each other as I pass by. Yesterday, a young woman came up to me on the platform at San Juan (it's where I get off the engine and stretch a bit) and asked if I was the engineer that always toots the horn and waves at the old folks on the patio. I said yes, and she burst into a massive smile from ear to ear. She told me she was a care giver at the home and when I go by and lean out the window with my big wave, it makes their day. She told me they love seeing the trains go by because it reminds them of when they were younger and the train was the only way to travel. She said that when we wave, it reminds them of the way things used to be. My conductor gave me his wave which meant we had to go. I said goodbye without getting any names, climbed back on my engine, whistled off and started up the hill. Sure enough, there they were. And we waved and smiled at each other. Friends, without even knowing our names......all because of a wave. I lost my mom a few years back, and dad died when I was eighteen. So I guess in my own mind, they'll fit perfectly into that gap. Next week, I'm going to pay them a surprise visit with a big bouquet of flowers, and a bottle of aftershave. And that's why I wave. We can all use another friend, even if we don't know their names. A wave is a good thing.