A Whistle, a Wave, and a World Gone Sideways

There are some things in this world that will never quite make sense, no matter how long you live. Heading home from my radio job the other day, I experienced one of those moments that leave you scratching your head, half laughing and half wondering if civilization has finally come unglued.

I was minding my own business, rolling down the road, humming along to the last tune I’d spun, when out of nowhere I heard it: a sharp, clean wolf whistle. Now, I’ll be the first to admit it’s been a while since anyone whistled at me for reasons other than trying to flag me down for a flat tire or to tell me I dropped my wallet. But when you hear a whistle like that, you want to believe it’s friendly. Maybe even flattering.

So I did what any decent, hopeful man might do. I smiled, tipped my head like I’d just won a prize at the county fair, and gave a neighborly wave. I was halfway into thinking maybe I still had a little bit of that old cowboy charm when the whole thing took a sharp left turn.

She flipped me off.

Now, I don’t mean she gave me a dismissive wave or one of those playful “oh, you rascal” gestures. Nope. It was the full, official, highway-approved middle finger salute, complete with the kind of scowl you usually only see on people who just realized the buffet is out of mashed potatoes.

I sat there stunned for half a heartbeat, but not willing to let a little hand signal ruin my day. So, in the spirit of good humor and mischief, I called out through my window, “Yes, I accept!”

Well, that was apparently the wrong answer. Because the woman immediately doubled down and gave me both birds, flapping them like she was signaling aircraft into a crash landing.

At that point, what can you do? I chuckled, tipped an imaginary hat, and drove on home, wondering what on earth had just happened.

Now, here’s the thing: I wasn’t mad. I wasn’t even offended, but I was puzzled.

What is it in folks these days that makes them toss rudeness around like confetti at a parade? We’ve got all the tools in the world to communicate—phones in our pockets, social media platforms, apps that can translate thirty languages—and somehow we can’t manage basic neighborly decency.

It used to be that if someone whistled, you whistled back, waved, or at least smiled and nodded. Nobody lost their religion over it. These days, though, people seem to walk around with their tempers cocked like a loaded pistol, ready to go off at the first harmless spark.

Maybe that woman thought she was being funny, or she was having a bad day. Or it could be she’s part of that growing crowd of folks who’ve decided that kindness is optional, but sarcasm and sourness are mandatory.

But here’s the good news–her mood didn’t have to become my mood. See, I could’ve carried the encounter home with me, stewing about it over supper, letting it sour the evening.

But instead, I laughed it off. Because at the end of the day, the world’s already got more than enough anger without me volunteering to carry some stranger’s extra load.

And maybe that’s the lesson right there. People are gonna flip you off, cut you off, talk you down, and act like you’ve personally ruined their week just by existing. You can’t control it, but you can control whether you let it crawl inside your head and pitch a tent.

So next time someone waves their birds in your direction, go ahead and smile, tip your hat, and roll on. Because life is too short to be ruined by fingers and frowns when there are still plenty of whistles, waves, and friendly nods out there waiting to be shared.

As for me, I’m just grateful I heard the whistle in the first place. It reminded me that, no matter how sideways the world gets, there’s always room for humor and a lot of grace.

Even if it comes packaged with two angry birds.