Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Week 4, Zanna: Appreciate Your Hands

The Exercise: Several times a day, when your hands are busy, watch them as though they belonged to a stranger. Also look at them when they are still.

Have you ever really looked at your
hands, Torgo?
Ah, the "Dude, have you ever really looked at your hands... I mean really looked at your hands" exercise.  Being about two decades removed from having any idea where to look for drugs, I had to do this one straight. This was nearly impossible for me. I even managed to pick up a small cut on my left hand this week and I have no idea how it got there. So much for mindfulness. I did try, however, and I have some observations.

Observation the first: I'm turning into my mother. I did manage to look at my hands a good bit while they were still, and they looked familiar (well, duh, they've been attached to my arms for 39 years or so)... but not as my hands. I was brought back thirty years.  These are my mother's hands. The same patterns of wear. The same webbing. The same wrinkles. When did this happen?

Observation the second: I tried to watch my hands while they were busy.  I really did try. My hands have performance anxiety.  I have trouble typing when someone is sitting in my office looking over my shoulder. Apparently this is also true when the person looking over my shoulder is me. My hands do pretty well doing their own thing, but the instant you look at them they freeze up and become bumbling idiots.  Unobserved they are amazing. Reaching into my purse, which in itself is an act of stunning bravery, they can instantly identify everything by the slightest touch. They can detect very slight variations in vibration allowing me to open master locks with my PS3 dual-shock controller in Skyrim.  They can absorb a tremendous amount of tension as they clinch and help me hold my tongue.  Thank you, hands, for all you do.

Observation the third:  I need a manicure.

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