Self image

I was once told that the human hand is second only to the face in its effect on self image. I was startled by this idea because I'd simply never given that much thought to how my hands helped create an impression of me. Rings and nail polish or the lack thereof had contributed to my personal style at various times in my life, but had I never thought very much about the hands themselves.

If you think about it, an injury, scar, malformation, or tattoo on most parts of the body can be concealed as needed or desired. Only our faces and hands are "out there" for everyone to see most of the time, adding to the picture we create of ourselves. When we shake hands during an introduction, or wave hello, the people we meet record information about us. Even when hands are concealed by the owner's choice (Michael Jackson's famous glove comes to mind) the concealment causes us to form an impression. We can shove our hands in our pockets when we're nervous or uncomfortable. We can tap our fingers and gesture as we talk or raise our hands in prayerful supplication. If we see dirt under someone's fingernails as they work in a garden, an impression is formed; those same fingernails on the hands of a doctor or nurse would likely induce a different reaction. Our hands and how we use them help form an image of who we are.

I have rather prominent veins on the backs of my hands so I never thought they were very attractive until one day when I was working as a nurse in a hospital. A young female patient of mine nearly swooned as she offered effusive compliments on the appearance of the very hands to which I'd been indifferent. They were, she assured me, every bit as lovely as those of her beloved grandmother. As I wasn't much older than my patient, I was very flattered by her attention. This charming young lady coveted my hands and caused me to look at them in a new, more appreciative light. I hope one day to have a granddaughter who thinks as fondly of me as my patient did of her grandmother.

As a baby boomer, I've developed an increasing awareness of anti-aging creams, surgeries, and other interventions designed to "improve" personal appearance. As these youth-prolonging strategies proliferate, many of us are becoming more aware of how our hands contribute to our self image and we look more closely at products designed to eliminate age spots and plump up sagging skin.

Give some thought to YOUR hands. Are you sure you appreciate their contribution to how you feel about yourself? What if they looked different than they do? What if you injured your hand? Do you have a "wet noodle" handshake? Are you gifted with a comforting touch? Do you sport a manicure that gives you a stylish appearance? Or maybe your hands are special only in that they are beautiful in the eyes of someone you love.