Why A Peterborough Waving Jogger's Happiness Is Contagious

You might have seen an older gentleman who jogs around Peterborough waving and smiling to people and dogs. The man waves to like everyone and everything—even cars he recognizes. And most people wave back, and love the guy.

The Waving Jogger: Jim McLean

Well his name is Jim McLean, and he's a 73-year-old chartered accountant by trade (he looks closer to 60) who believes that happiness and positivity is contagious.

Jim moved to Peterborough three years from Toronto, and lives in the West End on Ireland Road where he works from home as a CA. He loves the Peterborough community and the friendly people here, and started waving to people on his jogs shortly after moving here—he's been jogging since 1973 (he started at the Metro Toronto Fitness Club) but the waving started here.

"I wave to people because I live positive, and believe small relationships add up," Jim tells PTBOCanada. "Both of us feel better when I wave."

Jim believes that small gestures add up in life, and make everyone better. Hence the waving and smiling. "Even a smile is contagious," he says. Jim laughs when he says he's even made friends with neighbourhood dogs that used to bark at them—he waves and smiles at them, too. He says he stops and talks to many people who he has gotten to know through his jogs around town, and developed friendships with them.

PTBOCanada asked Jim for his motto, his philosophy on life. "Keep working, keep going," he says. "Don't quit, don't stop, don't slow down. Just keep going. Keep moving, always."

—post by Neil Morton

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