Friday, May 28, 2010

Gratitude, or a Quick Thanks

For most of my adult life I have wondered why, in our society anyway, there were so many expressions and gestures for anger, contempt, rage, and other negative emotions and messages, but not a single one that I had ever heard of or experienced for gratitude, simple or otherwise. Not so much as a way, other than a wave, to thank someone for letting you into traffic on the freeway.

A quick internet search made it apparent that I'm not the only one who has noticed this lack. Apparently the masons have signs for many the things, but, one problem there. The whole idea is that they are (supposed) to be secret. I mean, come on guys, you really think no one has leaked the mystic goodies in all these years?

But that, of course, pretty much defeats the purpose, even if they're only "supposed" to be secret not many people know what they are, or remember if they've seen them. I'm already forgetting, but my memory is not great.

Apparently a very popular campaign is to use the sign language gesture of gratitude to thank military personnel. I think this is wonderful. They're over there fighting and dying in a war that shouldn't be happening in the first place. In my book, that certainly deserves a little gratitude. Not a great thing that it's killing off the best specimens of the males of the species. I don't think that's what the whole fighting for supremacy thing, was about, biologically speaking, back when the winner was generally left alive to mate with the chosen female. But that's getting off on a whole different subject.


I have included, here, a video of the sign for gratitude. I think a lot more people deserve it than just the military. It's still not a lot of use in traffic though. Where I used to live the disc jockeys used to actively encourage road rage, rather than the reverse, which in my opinion should not  be allowed by the FCC. We still need something that might be a little more visible, but this one is certainly a lot better than the nothing more than the thumbs up that was all we had before.Well, maybe not better, but with a bit different meaning. Thanks from the heart rather than just a quick thumbs up.

Hey! that would be a little more visible in traffic!



Oh! That!

I always wondered what it was called. 
Well, here it is folks. 

 A gesture to use is traffic, compliments of Anonymous:




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5 comments:

  1. I really love the video. As a veteran of war, I can tell you that when people give that look when walking through the airport or another public area. We know what it means. Thanks for the appreciation and support. I'm actually thinking about going to the coast guard now, so I can help in America where it counts.

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  2. I never really thought about the fact that we (and other countries too) have so many gestures for ^%*%$! but none for Thank You. It's pretty horrifying when you think about it. What does it say about us? Scary.

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  3. Thomas, thanks for your comment. I don't really have a reliable way of knowing when I have comments, and obviously this one was a long time ago. I'm glad you liked it.

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  4. in hawaii people do the shaka to say thank you while driving : )

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  5. What's the shaka? Well that's silly. I need to look it and find out.

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I would enjoy reading your comments.