oddly enough

oddly enough

Community mourns Michigan man who waved at passers-by

LAMBERTVILLE, Mich.

A community in far southeast Michigan is remembering an elderly man who would wave at passing motorists every day as he waited for the mail carrier.

For two years, Norman Hall went out to his mailbox along a busy road just north of the Michigan-Ohio state line twice a day and for 30 minutes at a time to greet strangers with a wide smile. But two weeks ago, he made his way out to the mailbox and waved at motorists for the last time.

Hall died July 28 at age 88. Now an enlarged photo of him waving from a pontoon with the message “See you on the other side” is displayed next to the mailbox.

Since his death, flowers have appeared at Hall’s mailbox. Drivers have stopped to take photos, and others honk as they drive by.

Some have taken to social media to express what Hall’s daily gesture meant to them. Dean Weaver of Temperance wrote a tribute to Hall, whom he didn’t know personally, which has been shared on Facebook more than 2,500 times.

“He was out there rain or shine or sleet. I’m a former big-firm corporate lawyer, and I know: Everyone’s out there worried about their busy day, but here’s this man out there every day, sharing his enthusiasm for life,” said Weaver, who owns a stable near Hall’s home and often went out of his way to drive past his mailbox.

Even Hall’s wife of 62 years isn’t sure what prompted him to begin waving to motorists.

“One day he went out there to get the mail, and he just started waving,” said Louise Hall.

Hall didn’t let anything, including bad weather or his failing health, stop him from the routine that brightened other people’s days.

“He’d go out there no matter what the weather,” Louise Hall said. “There’d be 15 inches of snow, and he’d trudge out there.”

Norman Hall probably knew he made people smile, but he didn’t fully understand the impact of his actions, his wife said.

“I just hope he’s somewhere in heaven where he can see all of this,” she said.

Abducted baboon rescued and returned to zoo in Macedonia

SKOPJE, Macedonia

The playful baboon Luka has been rescued and returned to Macedonia’s largest zoo after he was snatched by captors.

Police say the 18-month-old crowd favorite was abducted Monday from Skopje Zoo by captors who cut nets at a zoo enclosure and drove him by taxi to Kavadarci, about 50 miles south of the Macedonian capital.

Authorities said Tuesday the ginger-haired animal was found four hours later after witnesses had alerted police. They said two people have been arrested and charged with burglary-related offenses. They did not comment on media reports that one of the suspects was a 26-year-old woman who had abducted the animal to please her daughter.

Abandoned by his mother after birth, Luka has become a favorite for children visiting the zoo.

Associated Press