Between Ourselves

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 297, 1 December 1928, Page 9

Between Ourselves

(By

“UNCLE MAC.”)

ABOUT THUMBS

I don’t see why, if we talk about hands—as we did last week—we shouldn't get down to more detail and think about thumbs. What hands would do without thumbs I can’t imagine. They would be just about as useful as fqet. Not long ago an American writer in a newspaper pointed out that far too much importance has been given to the first finger. It is the one that points, of course, and some advertise, ments would lose a great deal of their “point’’ if the familiar sign were absent. And during the great war Lord Kitchener’s pointing finger sent many a lad off to join the colours. “Your King and country need Y’OU,” said the poster, and the accusing finger Kept on pointing straight at the head of the observer, no matter where he happened to be standing. The “in” and “out” doors at stations and other places could scarcely do without a pointing finger. Similarly the middle finger has been long known for its length, and the “ninkie’’ for its lack of length, while the fourth finger (especially the one on the left hand) has had a tremendous lot of romance attached to it. What about the poor old, neglected thumb* As I look at the hand that writes these words, I wonder what I’d do without my uncomplaining and most useful thumb; and even if it comes to the question of pointing, it is open to debate whether the pointing you do with your thumb isn’t far more expressive than ony other kind. A thumb jerked over the shoulder and one eye shut...doesn’t it make the first finger take a back seat? Thumbs turned up or thumbs turned down (as they did it in the Roman amphitheatres long ago) can anything be more meaningful? To be under anyone’s thumb is an experience that teaches the power of that despised and unnoticed member, and

to turn over the pages of a beloved took that have been well thumoed is to wonder how one could i*ad at all without that podgy instrument.

Hans Anderson sneered about thumbs. Talking about angers, u« said: “The outside one was gjiort and fat; ,he walked out m trout ot the ranks, only had one joint in his back, and could make omy a single bow; but ' he hastened to add, “if he were hacked off, a man would bo spoiled for war.” Thumbe up for thumbs, then. We count money with them. We fas Ten buttons wit| them. (Try it without, and you’ll see). tje play marbles with jhem. We dig folks in the nbs with them. It would be difficult to pick up anything without them. Ln short, we’d be very poor, miserable creatures without them.

It is strange that they have been so long unnoticed, for more friendly fingers never existed. See how the thumb is ready instantly at any hour of the day or night to go out to meet any one of hie fellow-fingers that need a helping hand,, and hpw he constantly keeps in touch with his neighbours when there is a real bit of work to do. It is true thsA he couldn’t do without the other fingers, but it is far more to the point that they would be practically helpless without him. He isn’t pretty, but he is useful, and that is a better thing. You don't wish me to begin to rub in the obvious moral, but it is there all the same. Don’t forget, either, that thumbs can be misused. I have seen cheeky little boys spreading out their fingers and—but apart from all that, isn’t it surprising that you have been carrying- around on your hands two of the most useful httle tools in the world without paying any attention to them? If you had asked little 1 Jack Horner on that famous day when he sat in the corner, “what is your favourite finger to-day?” What do you think he would have said?