Not entirely rational

[gfish]

Which inanimate objects do you greet? There have always been trees in my life that I've been particularly courteous to. Mt. Rainier will often get a respectful nod from me. If the moon is especially brilliant I'll say hello, and Orion will almost always get a genial "How's it hanging?" out of me. It just seems polite.

Comments

[caladri.livejournal.com]

The wind, particularly interesting weather, Rainier, the Pacific Ocean, Seattle, etc. Anything that really comes to be either very singular and present in my life (Rainier) or which really moves me emotionally whenever I'm in its presence (weather.)

[ashley-y.livejournal.com]

Uitwaaien!

[ashley-y.livejournal.com]

I made up a little greeting to the sun for saying at solstice sunrises. Generally, the sun, the moon, Mt. Rainier.

[grinninfoole.livejournal.com]

I said goodbye to my last two automobiles when I had them junked. It seemed courteous, somehow, given how far they'd carried me.

[keystricken.livejournal.com]

Portlandia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portlandia), the moon, a couple of my robots, and thunder.

[gfish.livejournal.com]

Hrm, I hadn't considered statues. Certainly the UW George-Washington-with-giant-sword (http://www.flickr.com/photos/loveitaly/3972778273/) always gets a careful nod.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Rainier (aka Grandfather Tahoma) always gets a greeting when he's out, and the Moon gets a salute...

'course, one could say that Grandfather in particular isn't *entirely* inanimate... :)

[maribou]

I greet objects that I perceive as animate whether they fall into that class by normal definitions or not. So trees I'm fond of, large rocks, etc, are just getting clumped into the same greeting class that squirrels and crows and foxes get because I don't distinguish between them emotionally.

I will occasionally pay my respects to mountain ranges, random table rocks (Castle Rock gets greeted every time I drive past if I'm alone in the car), the moon. And yes, Orion. But that''s more haphazard. I oon't feel like they notice me, I just notice them So there's no *need* to greet such incredibly large possibly-beings.

[vixyish.livejournal.com]

Rainier (Grandfather), certainly. The moon often. Trees with exceptionally beautiful autumn plumage will sometimes startle a greeting from me. Flowers sometimes, especially the first crocus of spring. (If the latter seems too early they will also get admonishments from me to go back in 'cause it's too cold out.) Rain. Exceptionally well-timed cool breezes on hot days.

Usually it's whenever it's a case of mild surprise, actually, come to think of it. Like whatever it is has said hi first; I'm just returning the greeting.

I can't believe I've never heard you say that to Orion.

[pielology.livejournal.com]

Rain. Any stream I pass over - though I'm not sure that's a greeting so much as stopping to check my messages. Some mountains - most volcanoes, the Minarets, but not Half Dome.

[adularia.livejournal.com]

Trains and boats. The moon when it rises, and the sun too, if I'm up before it is. Other stars and planets if I actually can see them from midtown. Mostly trains and boats, though.

[anansi133.livejournal.com]

It's stretching "inanimate" a bit, But I often address the world as I go to bed and wake up. Like, "fuck you, world, I'm ducking out now", and "Oh, hello, still here?".

I've resisted the personification of my vehicles, but I always end up saying goodbye to them in the end.

Oh, and I talk to trees, but they're barely inanimate.

Another for the moon.

[ilmarinen.livejournal.com]

I'm not as consistent with it as I used to be, but the moon gets a salute & greeting usually. (There is a story about that...I once woke in the middle of the night while camping, needing to do something. Opened the tent flap, and there was the rising moon.) I'm more likely to give farewells to motorcycles as I put them away, etc.

[encapsulate.livejournal.com]

Funny you mention Rainier. I feel that way about Mt. Hood.

I'll usually talk to my bike when I'm doing tear downs for deep mud cleaning.

[gfish.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm sure I'd feel the same way about Mt. Hood if I lived in the area. Or Mt. Baker, they all have that same 'y hello thar' property. Of all the mountains I've seen, Denali had it the most, and we only get a very distant glimpse of it.

[caladri.livejournal.com]

Indeed, Denali is hard to beat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_peaks_by_prominence).

[solarbird]

Okay, some of this is weirdly similar: Rainier. Certain trees. Orion. Vancouver, from cow's old apartment. Certain kinds of wind and storm. This super-groovy old-school futurist (would be retro-futurist if built now) freeway sign holder on Aurora in Seattle. Probably some others.

What I don't do historically is name things, with the exception of musical instruments.

[gfish.livejournal.com]

Hee, I like that sign holder too. The lightening holes are so dramatic!

[stolen-tea.livejournal.com]

I don't greet it exactly, but I sometimes talk to my car the way Ild talk to an old dog that was trying very hard.

There are a few pieces of land that I do a slow walk around, when I'm there, so that the land remembers me.

[ivy]

Mostly, anything that has kami-spirit to me, which is evident in interaction but hard to describe to others who may not share my internal sense of impressedness. The moon (it was even my first word), but not the sun, usually. Mount Rainier, like apparently everyone. Particular trees -- the yew in Tashkent is a favorite of mine, or any tree that I've developed a personal relationship with. Trees I've planted are almost always in this category... they're kind of like wild stationary pets in that sense, and I feel a personal investment in their well being. My car when it's misbehaving. Really, almost any piece of technology that I'm trying to coax along while it's misbehaving.

[maida-mac.livejournal.com]

I'd have to go with thewronghands about kami. That tends to be my guide, too. The moon is a definite. Particular mountains, such as Rainier, Baker, and Whitehorse (http://www.summitpost.org/view_object.php?object_id=152881) (I grew up in its shadow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darrington,_Washington)), are always greeted. Specific trees and large rocks with which I have long term relationships get greeted. I also talk to the little animals and birds, as well as hug trees, so I'm a bit odd. ^_^

I'm funny in wilderness that's new to me, as I often walk slowly, stopping to pet and/or greet trees and rocks that strike me, and poke in all the odd corners.

[gement.livejournal.com]

All elevators, and usually escalators. (It falls into the same category as thanking waiters for refilling my glass - I thank those who perform services for me.)

Particular trees but not all trees. Action figures and such when I put them up or put them away.

I'll talk to cars if I'm worried about them or trying to make friends with a new one. I'll talk to computers if they're lagging or I'm waking them up.

I will not turn my back on statues or taxidermy, but I rarely have anything to say to them. (Blink was very difficult for me.)

[maribou]

I forgot to mention, I talk to the moveable shelving at my work. It's not really *greeting* which is why I forgot. It's more of a "now are you going to move like you are SUPPOSED to or am I going to have to get the black box?" (the black box is a battery pack. i think of it like a cattle prod so I feel faintly evil about this conversation.)