What Makes Johnny Wave?
Everybody here knows Johnny Barnes, the self-proclaimed happiest man in Bermuda.

Who knows why it happened? Who can say what possessed that now-famous hand to shoot up and shake itself at passers-by? Whatever the reason, that urge to wave way back in 1983 has made Johnny Barnes a famous man in Bermuda and around the world.

Beloved by tourists and locals alike, Barnes has devoted a quarter of a century to spreading goodwill and cheer at the Crow Lane roundabout outside of Hamilton. Here, the octogenarian icon of Bermuda hospitality stands five days a week, waving and blowing kisses at drivers and pedestrians. "Good morning!" he calls. "God bless you!"

Also known as "Mr. Feel Good" and "Happy Man," Barnes has gained international fame for his friendliness. His portrait adorns Hamilton's Visitors' Service Bureau and he has been honoured by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. In addition, acclaimed local sculptor Desmond Fountain captured Barnes's spirit in bronze in 1998. Today the 6-1/2-ft.-tall statue of Barnes, commissioned by the Spirit of Bermuda Trust, overlooks the entrance of East Broadway.

"I never thought I'd have my own statue," Barnes exclaims with the broadest of smiles.

Johnny Barnes does not have a degree in philosophy or physics, but he is convinced that he knows the secret of life. "The world is made for love," he tells Bermuda visitors curious or brave enough to stop in traffic and shake his hand.

That's a lesson he says he learned from his parents, who came here from the West Indian island of St. Kitts. "My mother taught me to love everyone and be kind to all," he says, "Each of us has a part of God in himself."

Barnes was 60, working as a driver and repairman at the bus depot in Hamilton, when he suddenly decided to start greeting strangers. On his way to work one morning he had what can only be described as an epiphany.

He stopped at the roundabout and began calling out to everyone he saw. At first, people thought he was crazy. Then, as they continued to see him morning after morning, they began to appreciate his joy and perseverance.

Today some drivers still raise their eyebrows. Others stop to shake Barnes's hand. A few present him with flowers. Others simply return the smile and wave. In any case, Barnes believes that it is his mission to spread joy throughout Bermuda.

Barnes shows up at the roundabout each morning with a bagged lunch, portable radio and a knapsack full of postcards of himself that he sells to tourists for $1 each. Sometimes he joins hands with tourists to pray for their safe journeys.

Most commuters say they enjoy seeing Barnes each day. His smiling face, they say, helps them to face another day of stress and hard work and makes the morning traffic — and the modern world — a little easier to bear.

Did You Know? Johnny Barnes' parents immigrated to Bermuda from the West Indian island of St. Kitts.

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