Hands Off!

Yesterday I shared my thoughts on feet. Today I'll discuss hands and then I think we will move away from body parts. Hands are right out there. We adorn them with rings, we groom our nails (which are really nothing more than dead skin cells that protect the ends of our fingers). We wash our hands more than any other part of our body; we slather them with moisturizer. To lose a hand would be a real inconvenience, for sure. We can be identified by our hands.

I notice people's hands, don't you? I notice if they are rough or smooth, fat or bony, dirty or clean, present or missing, I just notice hands. I probably even judge people by their hands. If I like your hands, I like you. Your hands, like yourself, do not have to be beautiful for me to like you. But your hands do say a lot about you. They can also tell a lot about your health and your history. Chances are you have scar on your hand that has a good story behind it. Your hands reveal if you have arthritis, nail fungus or disease, whether you've missed the nail and hit your thumb, if you've spent too much time in the sun...they really say a lot!

As a teenager, I would not hold hands with boys who had soft flabby hands. (I know, some of you guys are looking at your hands thinking about that one!) Obviously, things never went any further.

I am a handshaker. It's automatic to look someone in the eye and offer my hand as a friendly gesture. I fear I might be becoming a little germophobic. I find I wash my hands more often these days. I don't like touching public door handles. I wonder if that person who serves my food or gives me back my change has washed their hands.

I shook hands with a business contact the other day and his hand felt slimy and greasy. Naturally, I looked down at his hands. He obviously had Vaseline or some such substance on his hands. He skin was peeling badly. I felt really bad for him. It must be embarrassing for him to shake hands. It may well be painful! I also was grossed out. But I went straight to my car and rubbed a good portion of hand sanitizer over my hands....after I finished my business with him, that is. I wasn't rude or anything.

I can offer help and guidance with my hands or I can cause injury. I guess my hands and my mouth are similar in that way! But I won't be putting my hands in your mouth....or vice versa!