Rockfest Day 16 - A Little Texas Howdy

It is said that life is a journey. Well, if that’s true then it is one big car trip because there is just no way to fly to our destination. If we want to get where we are going we are going to have to drive. The road is long and the miles add up. There are certainly lots of days when the drive is hard and lonely. It sure would be nice to get a little Howdy from time to time to encourage us along the way.

Texas knows something about long journeys. We are a big state and have lots of long runs of road where you are likely to pass nothing more than a tumble weed for hours. As you travel the Texas highways one thing will come into sharp focus as you drive along. The cars and trucks that you pass engage in a little ritual, a little greeting. Drivers in Texas greet the people they meet along the way. Its a little ritual called the Texas two-finger wave. It’s a little Texas Howdy. Two fingers raised above the steering wheel just as you pass each other.

I love this ritual. I feel a kinship with my fellow road warriors. We may never meet but for a brief second we have made a connection, we are not alone. The two-finger wave says a lot for a little gesture. It says “Hi, nice to see you. Glad you’re here.” One little Howdy from a passerby and I don’t feel so on my own out there. I don’t know who started it or how it began, but Texans have been welcoming each other this way for as long as I’ve been alive.

The Texas two-finger wave doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t matter what you drive, what state your license plate announces you hail from or which direction you are headed. If you are on Texas highways and byways you will be welcomed with a little Texas Howdy.

The Texas two-finger wave is a strong comfort as we travel on our journey. “Hi, nice to see you, I’m glad you’re here.” – its unspoken greeting looks simple and unassuming but it packs a mighty big message.

On second thought, I think I do know Who started it.

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