“The hand is the visible part of the brain.”
Immanuel Kant
Hands are possibly the most amazing part of our body. Hands are my somewhat secret obsession. I talk with my hands, eat with them, build with them and use them for nearly every aspect of every waking part of my day. My hands are my verbs, nouns, adjectives and exclamation points all rolled into one, or I should say two, tiny little compact parts on my body.
Hands-on projects for kids are the most engaging and our hands are our little sensors that bring information into our mind, make sense of objects for our eyes, bring things closer to our ears and our mouths. Hands express sometimes what we are not able to verbally say. Hands are in fact one of our most taken for granted assets.
Am I solitary in this conviction? I don’t think so.
The human hand is a miracle of biomechanics, one of the most remarkable adaptations in the history of evolution. The hands of a concert pianist can elicit glorious sound and stir emotion; those of a surgeon can perform the most delicate operations; those of a rock climber allow him to scale a vertical mountain wall. Neurologist Frank R. Wilson makes the striking claim that it is because of the unique structure of the hand and its evolution in cooperation with the brain that Homo sapiens became the most intelligent, preeminent animal on the earth. “The Hand” by Frank R. Wilson
| Such beautiful, beautiful hands! They’re neither white nor small; And you, I know, would scarcely think That they are fair at all. |
I’ve looked on hands whose form and hue A sculptor’s dream might be; Yet are those aged, wrinkled hands More beautiful to me. |
“If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
We are all the same person trying to shake hands with our self.
Wavy Gravy
“I love a hand that meets my own with a grasp that causes some sensation.”
Samuel Osgood
“Often the hands will solve a mystery that the intellect has struggled with in vain.”
Carl Jung
Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If you cannot, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way.
Swami Vivekananda
I’m not even sure if this is really sign language.. but I like the expressiveness
Alison Skeat, a 44 year old single mum, living on an East London council estate, dreamt up The Dirty Hands Project in March 2008. She wanted to grow organic fruit and vegetables for her and her four year old daughter. However, with no food growing skills, she wondered how on earth this would fit in with full time work…
The human hand has 27 bones, 14 of which are the phalanges (proximal, medial, and distal) of the fingers. The metacarpal is the bone that connects the fingers and the wrist. Each human hand has 5 metacarpals.
His hand glides down my arm, folds over my hand. His fingers lace with mine, palms kissing. I can feel the fast thud of his heart through this single touch. Sophie Jordan
Her Hands
Her hands helped to guide me as I took my first step.
Her hands held me close when the tears would start to fall.
Her hands were quick to show me that she would take care of it all.
Her hands were there to brush my hair, or straighten a wayward bow.
Her hands were often there to comfort the hurts that didn’t always show.
Her hands helped hold the stars in place, and encouraged me to reach.
Her hands would clap and cheer and praise when I captured them at length.
Her hands would also push me, though not down or in harms way.
Her hands would punctuate the words, just do what I say.
Her hands sometimes had to discipline, to help bend this young tree.
Her hands would shape and mold me into all she knew I could be.
Her hands are now twisting with age and years of work,
Her hand now needs my gentle touch to rub away the hurt.
Her hands are more beautiful than anything can be.
Her hands are the reason I am me.
“The mind has exactly the same power as the hands; not merely to grasp the world, but to change it.”
Colin Wilson
Songs about Hands
- Clapping Song (Clap Pat Clap Slap), The – Shirley Ellis (1965)
- Come Take My Hand – Slim Whitman (1970)
- Daddy’s Hands – Holly Dunn (1986)
- Hand in My Pocket – Alanis Morissette (1995)
- Hand to Hold on to – John Mellencamp (1982)
- Hands – Jewel (1998)
- Hands Across the Table – Fats Domino (1962)
- Hands Can Say a Lot – Johnny Bush (1978)
- Hands Clean – Alanis Morissette (2002)
- He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands – Raffi (1982)
- Hands of a Working Man – Ty Herndon (1999)
- Hard and Calloused Hands – Slim Dusty (1992)
- Healing Hands – Sonny Isaacs and Dolly Parton (2000)
- I Wanna Hold Your Hand – The Boston Pops Orchestra (1971)
- I Want to Hold Your Hand – The Beatles (1964)
- I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water – Stonewall Jackson (1965)
- Mama’s Hand – The Lynn Morris Band (1996)
- Man’s Hands, A – Victor Lundberg (1967)
- My Mother’s Beautiful Hands – Bradley Kincaid (1933)
- On the Other Hand – Randy Travis (1986)
- Put Your Hand in Mine – Tracy Byrd (2000)
- Put Your Hand in the Hand – The Lewis Family (1971)
- Shake a Hand – The Four Lovers (1957)
- Let’s Shake Hands and Come Out Lovin’ – Kenny O’Dell (1978)
- Shake Hands and Come Out Crying – The Newbeats (1966)
- Shake Hands and Come Out Dancing – Dennis Edwards (1984)
- Shake Hands with a Loser – Don Winters (1961)
- Touch of Her Hand, The – Don McLean (1989)
- Touch of Your Hand, The – Gordon Jenkins (1952)
- Touch the Hand – Conway Twitty (1975)
- Wait Til I Get My Hands on You – Wynn Stewart (1985)
Related articles
- Mysterious Hand Print (realityofone.wordpress.com)
- Pretty Hands (prettyhands.wordpress.com)
- Helping Hands Organizations (canmorehearts.wordpress.com)
- Hands (briantmaurer.wordpress.com)
- Hand Photos (damneardaily.wordpress.com)
- Art: Hands and feet studies (analogi3.wordpress.com)
