An ALL NEW Band of Brothers

I've recently discovered that I have an innate desire to "belong", to be with the "IN crowd", to be "cool". Well, okay, actually I've sort of known this for a while now, but it was impressed upon me again one fine day last week as I was on my way home from work. I was following a motorcyclist and as it happened to be a very nice day there were several bikers out on the road. Every time we passed another motorcycle, I saw the man ahead of me move his hand to the side and give the "peace out" fingers a little lift upward in a friendly fashion toward the other biker. I saw the "biker's wave" returned. An overwhelming sense of needing to "belong" washed over me as I observed what was taking place. As my window was rolled down, I was tempted to shove my hand out the window and flick my own wrist in mimicry of the cyclist ahead of me. However, I knew it wouldn't have the same effect, mainly because I was not part of the crowd. I was not driving a motorcycle. I was OUT, not IN.

So I am thinking of creating my own "band of brothers", whose members can share a friendly wave when they're out driving even if they've never met before. Hmmm. Let me see. What can be the tie that binds?

Anyone who drives a Jeep? That could be a good one. We could be the Chrysler band of brothers (aka "We're the people who are driving endangered, soon-to-be-extinct species of vehicles, because Chrysler is bankrupt"). Now that DEFINITELY deserves a little support group. Flick of the wrist to all you Jeep/Chrysler/Dodge owners out there; consider yourselves to have just been "peace out" waved at.

Or maybe that's too depressing to be the common bond for the new friendly-wave brotherhood. Maybe it could be everyone who has a sunroof (aka "We're the people who sometimes leave the hole in our ceiling open and get in the car in the morning to find the cup holders full of rain water"). Not that I speak from experience...

Anyway...I haven't quite decided yet what the criteria is for membership in a new brotherhood that can wave at each other and expect a wave back. But I'm working on it. I'm certain there are plenty of people out there who feel, as I do, that desire to "belong", to be on the inside, but are not fortunate enough to own a motorcycle. That friendly wave can be a dagger to the heart of those who see it and know it is not meant for them and never will be. Maybe the new brotherhood should just be everyone who doesn't own a motorcycle. That pretty much covers anyone who may be struggling with feeling left out, because it really only leaves out motorcyclists (and, of course, they have their OWN brotherhood and don't need ours). So...if you're ever out driving around and you see a girl with her hand waving out the sunroof of a Jeep then you can figure it's me and you're a VIP in the brotherhood.