"Smile and Wave, Boys"

I really like animated movies. Probably a good thing since I've spent the last 20 years watching Disney movies with my kids. But now its to the point where, given the choice, I'm the one that votes for watching "Shrek" or "Madagascar" or "The Incredibles" yet again. Maybe its because I've grown weary of all the garbage that Hollywood stirs into most new releases. Or perhaps its just proof that animated movies were really made for parents like me in the first place. In any event, my favorites are the ones with fun plots, classic characters and memorable lines. One of my favorite lines comes from the penguins in Disney's Madagascar. What better way to avoid confrontation (or to avoid detection) than to simply "smile and wave".

Just yesterday I found yet another novel application of the "smile and wave" philosophy of living. I was leaving one of the covered downtown parking ramps. It was the middle of the day but it was still kind of dark. I was going slow as I was leaving but was absentmindedly thinking about other things. Before I knew it I had eased out right in front of someone else coming across the lot. Neither of us were going very fast so we were both able to stop in plenty of time to avoid a wreck. The other driver was gracious, she simply smiled and waved while I stopped and backed up out of her way. Her passenger wasn't so gracious, however. She lurched back in her seat, all the while gesticulating and shouting what appeared to be some pretty unflattering things about me, my genealogy and my driving skills. I could practically see the smoke huffing and puffing out of her chimney stack.

So there in the darkness of a parking ramp I witnessed "smile and wave" side by side with her ugly stepsister "shout and cuss". I am proud to report that my first reaction was to "smile and wave". I've come a long way since I put a clinched fist through my bedroom window as a 4 year old. There's still room to improve though... maybe watching Madagascar a few dozen more times will help.