The waving, riding man

Curry Coastal Pilot – by Jayati Ramakrishnan

Passing through the north end of Brookings, Oregon, it’s hard not to notice Ira Tozer. He’s the one waving at cars as they go past — with a big, beaming smile on his face.

Parked at the corner of Highway 101 and Parkview Drive, Tozer sits on a bright blue scooter adorned with ribbons and flags, grinning and waving excitedly at passersby. He tips his hat at some, and throws a salute to all police officers.

Tozer, 72, became a community icon about 15 years ago, when he started walking up and down Highway 101. Though hip troubles prevent him from walking and waving like he used to, Tozer continues to spread positive energy.  

It all started in 1998 when Tozer was diagnosed with a heart problem.

“The doctors wanted to do a bypass,” Tozer said. “But I didn’t want that. I found a doctor in Portland who believed in the holistic approach, so I took that instead.”

Tozer began walking, at one point increasing his trips to about 12 miles a day. The exercise alleviated his heart problem, but it changed his life in other ways, too.

“One day while I was out walking, a thought popped into my head,” Tozer said. “That I should wave to people. Almost as if answering myself, I said, ‘People will think you’ve lost your mind.’ So I didn’t do it. But every day for a month, that thought popped into my head.”

Finally, Tozer decided that he had to give the idea a try.

“The first couple people responded just as I thought they would,” Tozer said. “Kind of like, ‘What’s this kook doing?’ But the third girl — she looked depressed. The word ‘enthusiasm’ popped into my head.”

Tozer’s eyes light up as he thinks back to the experience. “So I smiled and made eye contact — and she lit up like a Christmas tree. And it lit me up too. And that’s what it’s about.”

Tozer has more than just a passing effect on drivers. Brookings resident Becky DeLong recalls going through a difficult time in her life and remembers how Tozer’s greetings impacted her.

“I never had the opportunity to tell Ira how much his simple wave meant to me each day, but you can bet I honked my horn, flashed my lights and waved back to what was often the only highlight of my day.” She adds that Tozer had such an influence on her that her grandson is named after him.

Deanna Marrington, another citizen whom Tozer has influenced, says, “He brightens my day every time I see him! No matter what my thoughts or moods are while driving, my heart is filled with joy and hope when Ira is out and about. I take that feeling and cherish it in my heart, and spread it out to others I meet throughout the day. We need more of that in today’s world!”

Another Curry County resident, Meriah Carpenter, feels that Tozer helps people bring out the best in themselves. “His smile and waves make me feel blessed to be alive and so happy to see someone who clearly shares my love for life.”

Tozer insists that while people are usually happy to see him, the joy he gets from greeting drivers is much greater than anything he could give.

“I want to thank everyone, and tell them how appreciative I am. They get a little charge from seeing me wave at them, but I get car after car.”

Tozer recalls how much he’s learned since he started waving to people about 15 years ago.

“When I started, I expected two responses, but I realized that every response is unique,” Tozer says. “The younger they are, the quicker they get it. Young adults usually get it, and I’ve seen a huge range of responses from them.”

“Some people don’t get it,” he continues. “It takes them a second, but then they light up. And then there’s those people who know me, and before I can even see them, they’re sending energy out my way.”

Tozer says that over the years, he’s found that most people have a positive response when they see him waving. 

“Ninety-nine percent of the people love it,” he said. “A small fraction don’t know what to do. And occasionally there are people who don’t want to deal with anything positive.”

He adds that, while he loves having people wave back at him, it’s not about getting a response out of people. “Those people that go over the top,” he says with a smile, “god bless them.” However, he believes that the overall purpose of waving to people is to spread positive energy.

“I don’t want to miss a single person!” Tozer says. “I’ve heard of people all around the world doing this, but I just do it here.”

Tozer’s favorite time to go out and wave is when traffic is heaviest. “I love to be out there before the school buses come out. From about 2:45 to 5 p.m. It’s busy and hard to catch everyone, but it’s the most rewarding.”

A resident of Brookings for about 30 years, Tozer used to live in the Bay area, where he worked for IBM. After retiring and moving to Brookings, he worked as a gardener. He also taught computers at Southwestern Oregon Community College. Now, Tozer spends time at the Chetco Activity Center, where he often goes for lunch and to see friends he’s met over the years. 

In addition to bringing him personal gratification, Tozer says that waving to people has given him a lot of perspective. “Fifteen years ago, I couldn’t have seen myself doing this,” Tozer says. “I thought I was too important. But it’s not about me — it’s about them.” 

He adds that he’ll continue waving to drivers for the rest of his life. “I can’t stop now,” he says. “It’s too rewarding. It’s greater than money, power or esteem.”

His observations about people’s different reactions to him have helped him realize a lot about humans.

“When I first started, I thought there would only be two responses. But every person’s response is unique. There are no clones on this planet. And people should go for their uniqueness.”

When Tozer is out waving to drivers, he feels that it’s most rewarding when he focuses on being in the moment, just like the people he waves to.

“I can’t remember the past, and I don’t know the future. I don’t know what they’re going to do — they just do it. 

“Those people help me live in the moment.”

http://www.currypilot.com/News/Local-News/The-waving-riding-man