Maybe if I switched to an umbrella I'd look like Mary Poppins?

One of my favorite ways to exercise is to take a walk in a lovely wooded park nearby. My trek is a flat, 3 mile purposeful stroll along a river dotted with evergreens and trees that mark the seasons. I added the park walk to my exercise repertoire about a year and a half ago when the gym’s treadmill seemed to be causing issues. By the time I figured out that statins were actually the muscle-ache culprit (fie on you, modestly high LDL), I was already hooked on outdoor treading, even in the rain.

Practically every time I go for a walk, I wear a baseball hat. The hat may vary but the use does not. I long ago discovered that umbrellas are largely useless here, so I have a very impressive collection of baseball hats to help shield the rain and the occasional rays of sun. Those occasional days also include sunglasses.

Typically when I walk, I come across other walkers. Usually moms and retired people, given that I usually walk mid-morning/early afternoon on weekdays. And typically when we pass each other, we exchange a slight smile or a subtle nod. Just enough to acknowledge the human existence but not enough to distract from conversations or thoughts or silent singing.

One walk not long ago, I left my hat in the car. My hair was about a week away from its much-needed cut and I didn’t want hat-hair for an activity later in the day. So it was just me and sunglasses and headphones. And something really strange happened. So strange, I’ve been testing it out the past few weeks.

That morning when I was hatless, every person I passed...and I really do mean every...minimally gave me a huge smile. Some added big waves, involving elbows, and some even mouthed “HI!” (I’m sure they actually spoke the word; it just looked like mouthing since I had headphones on.) Everyone was so friendly and excited to see me! When I got back to the car, I examined myself in the mirror to make sure I hadn’t missed some breakfast on my cheek or something. Nope. Perplexed, I wondered if perhaps it was because school had just started and everyone was just dang happy to get their exercise routines back.

I went back the next day, pre-shower and thus wearing a hat. And...no waves, no excitement, no elbows. Back to the subtle smiles and small acknowledgements. Intrigued, I’ve been testing my hypothesis now for about a month, trying different combinations of baseball hat and sunglasses use. Best I can tell, sunglasses don’t have much of an impact but wow, I apparently do not look particularly friendly in a baseball hat. Hard to imagine with a collection that includes an adorable college mascot, a flying cow, and hot dog stand in Hawaii.

Would you say hello to this person??