SoulCast - If I shook your hand...

If I shook your hand...

the_infernal_optimist posted on Jan 15, 2008 | views: 199 | Tags: hands

...what sort of hand would I be shaking? Long-fingered, stubby, calloused, manicured...? (I realize I'm in hug territory for some of you, as you are for me - overlook that for a moment.)

Care to show me?

My hands take a real beating, esp. in winter, so they look a little icky right now, but if you're curious:

I took the pics of my left since my right has that "mystery damage" on it at the moment.

What I see: Ewwkie hand reddened from washing dishes (stupid dishwasher not working), and an obviously well-rounded person attached to said hand, given how my wedding band squeezes my finger - it slides on and off easily enough though.

I realize that posting a picture of your hand gives away certain details you may wish to keep private. How about measurements? :-D

My left hand is 7 1/4" from the tip of my middle finger straight down to where my hand joins my wrist, and 3 1/8" across at the widest part of my palm. I don't have small hands.

I'd make a very bad cat - curiosity would have taken all nine of my lives by now, and this is just another example. ;-)

Do you think our hands say more about us than the obvious (skin tone, gender, etc.)?

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Comments

merlin said on Jan 16, 2008....
Hey infernal how do i post a picture?
MissMimi said on Jan 16, 2008....

My hands take a real beating from the wheelchair. My right hand moreso than my left, because I am very dominantly right handed. Right now I have a couple of new scars on the top of my left hand from misjudging the distance between the wheelchair rim, and the edge of the wall.

Short fingered, kind of stubby, starting to develop that veiny look on the tops of them that old ladies get. Thank God, no age spots yet. The most weird thing is, my left hand is smaller than my right hand. If I can figure out how to take a picture of my thumbs side by side, I'll show you. My left thumb is about 1/2 inch smaller than my right one.
silverwhisper said on Jan 16, 2008....
you know i don't do pics as a rule...hm..is it weird that my ring fingers are longer than my index fingers? :>

ed
Zayda said on Jan 16, 2008....
My left hand on the keyboard, which is where my hands seems to spend a great deal of their time. Go figure. ;)

Eww..that keyboard really needs cleaning. Yuck!
evil_twin said on Jan 16, 2008....
I'm a bit too lazy to take a picture of my hand or measure it! :-P But my fingers are fairly long, my nails are short, and my hands pretty much look like I've never done a day of hard labor in my life. I think they're pretty decent hands to have. They're not rough or calloused, so that makes it nice for the person I touch with them ;-)

-evil_twin LA
the_infernal_optimist said on Jan 16, 2008....
merlin: I know it's been posted somewhere, but it boils down to getting a Flickr account (free), uploading your pictures there, clicking on "All sizes" for the image you want, and then under the image at the size you want, there's a box with several lines of code. Copy all of that, hit the Flickr button, and paste the code into the popup window. Then, if you don't like where the picture is, use the "Edit HTML" mode to move the code around.

Mimi: That's neat about your different hand sizes! I'd love to see that if you can get a picture. :)

ed: I know, I know...but it's just a hand. :-D Measurements, then, if nothing else! :-p I don't think it's strange - my index finger on my left hand is a bit shorter than my ring finger (I don't think it shows in the pics), and more pronouncedly so on the right hand.

Zayda: Cool! Your hand looks pretty strong. My keyboard is always yucky, it seems. I guess they don't get top billing on the cleaning list. :-D

Kyle: They sound nice. :) I'm sure Nat appreciates that they're not all calloused and rough.

~Infernal
silverwhisper said on Jan 16, 2008....
merlin: try looking amidst the blog entries here to find polarheart's instructions--they're excellent and have helped other soulcasters. :>

infernal: measurements? what is this, infernal's playboy centerfolds? :D

ed
the_infernal_optimist said on Jan 16, 2008....
ed: [giggles]

Yeah, that's it! :-D

Incidentally, in college, I was bored one night and wondered, so I asked every guy I knew *that* question. I suppose it's a testament to the power of friendship that most of them just sighed in amusement - "That's Infernal for ya" - and answered. :-D I wouldn't be that bold now!

~Infernal
uniquely-ironic said on Jan 16, 2008....

I'm right handed, but needed that hand to take a picture of this hand. :)

I keep my nails very short for sports and typing at work. (I hate the clackity clack sound of nails on a keyboard) My ring finger is also longer than my index finger, by about a 1/2 inch. My knuckles are scarred from working with my hands as a locksmith and learning to punch at jujitsu. They are not very soft and have caluses on the palms. They are small relative to my height, though I doubt you can see that from this picture.
nytquill17 said on Jan 16, 2008....
I have kind of small hands, in proportion with the rest of me! Also very strong hands. I have broken knobs off stoves and dryers and I can beat my husband in a thumb wrestle! I have square palms, a family trait on my dad's side. My middle finger is about equal in length to my palm. My fingers are on the slender side but maybe a little short to be real "piano fingers." I did play piano and guitar with them though! I've always been a nail biter and I don't really mind. I'm not the kind of girl who goes in for fancy hair and manicures! Oh, and I have a few scars, mostly on my left hand from a fall. I'm a very hands on type of person so I'm always getting little cuts and things! I'm left-handed and my wedding rings are size 7 but they are starting to slip around a bit (not falling off though).
beyondtheveil said on Jan 16, 2008....
infernal- Mine are fairly large with long fingers and are somewhat rough. I've worked with my hands all my life and still do with work with them around the house and a wood working hobby. I'm not ashamed of them at all for being that way, in fact I'm quite proud of them for what they have done and show it. There is little I like better than working with my hands. My wife has never once complained about them, quite the opposite. I don't know how to do a picture, but they would look like a rancher's hands.
Zayda said on Jan 16, 2008....
Infernal--I wonder if all that typing has strengthened them. Hmmm..you just never know.

I suppose that over the years piano playing has strengthened them to some degree as well. Although, I haven't played regularly in a long time.

I have long fingers, which I'm not sure you can tell from that picture.

Right now, with the weather, my palms are dry and the skin is peeling a bit, so I'm not taking a picture of those.
moonriver said on Jan 16, 2008....
my hands at work, particularly in image 1 and image 8.
my hands at play, particularly in image 2 and 3.
exact measurements available upon request via PM... ;-)
infernal, i know how it feels to be hand-washing dishes everyday. and in this weather. i feel your pain, my friend... :-)
Eilan said on Jan 16, 2008....
Here's my left hand:

My fingers are longish and thin; my engagement ring and wedding band are a size 5. I have a boo-boo just above the bottom knuckle of my middle finger.

One of my husband's hands, BTW, can be found in the comments of this blog entry.
the_infernal_optimist said on Jan 16, 2008....
u-i: A locksmith? Did I just not know that, or have you said and I spazzed completely again? There's nothing in the world wrong with hard-working hands. :)

nyt: You have such great skin! Your hands look younger than you are, and I'm thinking that's going to rock as time goes by. I used to "worry" my nails to pieces - not biting, but I'd just pick at them (eww). Long nails are overrated anyway. ;-)

I'm right between you and Eilan on wedding band size. Mine's a size 6, and you should've heard me arguing with the jeweler that I needed a 6 1/2-7! It was cold in the shop though, so of course the six fit and I looked stupid. I'm hoping it'll fit nicely once I drop this weight.

beyond: Somehow that fits for you - steady, solid hands. :)

Zayda: I didn't realize you played piano, but I'm not surprised. My palms and knuckles get gross some years, too - I've found that when it's really nasty, if you lotion your hands really thickly and put gardening gloves over that, you can leave that on overnight and it's a lot better in the morning. It feels yucky but it helps.

moon: Your hands look very gentle but strong too. I guess that fits for a wolf. ;-)

Eilan: Your hands are so feminine and pretty! I laughed at your husband's bird - the difference between your hands and his is that of night and day!

~Infernal
uniquely-ironic said on Jan 16, 2008....

It is one of my many past jobs. Did it for 3-4 years full time. Was always getting metal shavings under my skin and nicks and cuts from the equipment. I do office work now so I don't have an excuse for my hands being in better shape.
Twylarants said on Jan 16, 2008....
I don't know if this is going to be a picture or if I screwed it up, but this is my old, wrinkled, red, working hand (if it shows up).
It's 7 3/4" fingertip to wrist, with a 3 3/4" palm. I'm left-handed, and have nerve damage in my right hand so I can't open it enough to measure it.

Flickr">

Ewww! there it is! I need nail polish...now!

What a shame. I used to be so proud of my hands. *sigh* Both of my middle fingers turn out slightly from years of stretching shrink paper over them to wrap meat.
Zayda said on Jan 16, 2008....
Infernal--I dabble at playing. And like I said, I haven't played regularly for years; my piano is with family members as there is no real room for it here.

Thus, I don't play well at all. Right now, I doubt I could play much past the level of chopsticks. :/
the_infernal_optimist said on Jan 16, 2008....
u-i: It doesn't sound like locksmithing was much fun!

Twyla: That's not an "Eww!" hand! (You'd better not be talking badly about the body parts of one of my friends, missy! ;-)) It's interesting how many lefties there are here (and among the people I know in general). As I said to someone else earlier, there's nothing whatsoever wrong with working hands. :)

Zayda: I can't play anything two-handed, so you're probably still better than I am! My grandmother is probably still bummed that I always refused to take lessons.

~Infernal
Twylarants said on Jan 16, 2008....
IO~ Thank you Darlin', that's so sweet of you!
I'm sitting here pulling back the skin on my hand to see if it looks younger...ha ha ha!
You know what they say about the camera adding 10 pounds? It adds wrinkles and funny little blue veins too.
But it's a nice shot of my "Harry Potter" book, don't you think?
the_infernal_optimist said on Jan 16, 2008....
Oooh, which one?

~Infernal
lfbno7 said on Jan 17, 2008....
My hands look pretty much like everyone else's.
Zayda said on Jan 17, 2008....
Infernal: I think my mother was disappointed that I stopped taking lessons when I did. Maybe, I'll pick up lessons again. Hmmm....
Twylarants said on Jan 17, 2008....
IO~ The last one. "...and the Deathly Hallows".
I read the ending before I read the beginning. I had to see if Harry died...I couldn't have read the book knowing he did. I'm such a baby!
I'm hoping Rowling continues the series with the second generation of wizards.