Thursday, July 13, 2006

Welcome Home Wavey...

Just the other day I realized it's been over a year since I've seen who once seemed to be a permanent fixture roaming the streets of Waco, TX. There is a gentleman who roamed around town who obviously has some mental problems, as he waves at everyone. But it's not an ordinary "Hey, how are you doing?" wave. It's a wave that suggests this guy is a person of importance and he has been chosen as the Grand Marshall of an eternal parade winding through the streets of our great city. Rumor has it he thinks he is the President. I feel bad for his condition but at the same time everytime I saw him it brought a smile to my face. We call him "Wavey."

Today as I was running home from downtown I noticed a couple of blocks up an elderly African-American gentleman with the non-ironic mesh cap and neatly pressed button down short sleeve shirt and wondered to myself, "Is Wavey back?" Sure enough, as I got closer I noticed him pivot from his walking position to the cars passing down Austin Avenue, assumed the stance and raised both hands in greeting to the world, and I smiled. When he turned back around I was about a block from him and instinctively yelled, "Hey Wavey!," at which point he gave me a two-hand in the air wave until I passed.

What a good feeling. What a good city, full of people you can rely on to be just quirky enough to keep you on your toes.

7 comments:

greenISgood said...

Driving home one day from work, I saw "Wavey" and thought actually he was the president...of something as he stood outside his headquarters.

Love the blue doo-rag.
R

Craig said...

Thanks Robert.

I began the doo-rag a few weeks ago as I was frustrated with getting sweat in my eyes. It has worked. I've always wanted to do the doo-rag, but with any change in fashion you need to slowly work it in so those who see you on a daily basis don't get shocked. The hope is that one person here and another person there sees me with the doo-rag, so when I decide to incorporate it into my wardrobe, it's a little less shocking.

I'm doing this because I'm going bald.

jenA said...

his name's Willie

Mrs. Carn-Dog said...

I talked to Willy for the first time the other day. I was making the rounds in Indian Springs and East Cameron on my hot bicycle when we ran into him. He is loud, but seemed fairly intelligent. One of my co-rangers suggested that he might have turrets. Don't know if that is factual, but nonetheless, Willy is a good guy.

Anonymous said...

Have a wear a doo-rag to church day. Your on the leadership team. Have you seen the guy attacking me about my patriotism and pledging allegiance?

Candace Shaw said...

I love the quirkiness of Waco. Even Austin of Keep Austin Weird fame doesn't seem to have as many of the quirky characters just roaming the streets. This might sound awful but as I was walkinga round the streets of Austin the other day i saw some homeless people and I remember thinking to myself out boring they seemed compared to the people in Waco. odd, but true.

Craig said...

chris, contrary to a longstanding popular belief, i am not on leadership team. however, a ubc doo-rag day does seem hip. josh, you think you can pull your strings to make that happen?