The unknown horror

Alas, dear readers, I fear I must take time today to inform you of a cause du jour, a need for action, an unspeakable tragedy unfolding before our very eyes.

Last night, on the way home from work, M and I wound up sitting next to each other at a stoplight. He in the Corvette, I in my Zoemobile. (I almost dared him to race, but thought that since traffic was heavy it probably wasn't in our best interests. He got off lucky this time.) I motioned to him that I'd meet him at home, pick him up and we'd go retrieve Zozer together. I let him go first, then fell in behind. As we drove, a yellow Corvette came the opposite way. I watched for the driver to wave to M, knowing with certainty that M would lift his hand in salute.

Later, both of us in the Zoemobile (with M whining that "it's not the same"), I asked him if he waved to the other Corvette. He replied that he had. Waving to other Vettes has been an honored tradition probably dating back to the first Corvettes in 1953. It's like being part of an exclusive club. Jeep drivers flash each other the "J" and Corvette drivers give a simple hand lift or even a sage nod towards each other (they're too cool to show excitement, after all). I don't know if other car owners have secret signs to each other...I just know these because I used to drive a Jeep and I grew up in a Corvette house.

(I do, however, know that Honda Accord drivers do not wave to or acknowledge each other in any form. Probably because there are a gajillion of us and we're all too busy dealing with kids in the backseat to pay any attention to anyone else. And, you know, it's not real cool to be tooling around in a four-door sedan. Or so people think. I happen to think it's incredibly awesome. You know what? That's why we don't wave to each other. We're just so super-cool and suave that we don't need to. Welcome to The Staid Club of Reliable Mediocrity for the Masses.)

When M told me he had waved to the passing Corvette, I said, "He didn't wave back." That's when M gravely told me of the campaign, the swelling underground movement, the burgeoning grassroots effort to...wait for it...Save the Wave. He explained that there were so many Corvettes on the road now, so many purchased by people who (gasp!) aren't Corvette Enthusiasts (bastards), that the Corvette wave is indeed endangered. He was so serious, and sounded so sad that the Corvette wave needs a movement to be saved, that I couldn't help but bust out laughing.

I think that's when he realized the ridiculousness of what he was saying, because he started laughing, too, and then beseeched me to not blog about it. Yeah. Fat chance, buddy. This is prime material, and you served it up on a silver platter.

Please, help M spread the word. If you know a Corvette owner, tell them to Save the Wave. Explain to them that extinction is not an option, that the world will suffer if the Corvette wave disappears. Give a brief demonstration if required (M is happy to provide instruction and, I'm sure, will be working on posting a YouTube video to help the general public).

In the meantime, I'm researching 501(c)(3) requirements, choosing a theme color (breast cancer has taken pink, and treehuggers have hijacked green...let's see...is chrome a color?), and getting small rubber wristbands created so everyone will see what we stand for when we wave to other Corvette owners. With all that's right in the world today, it's good to know some of us are focused on ways we can really make a difference.