Hand Talk

Tony says that his first wife divorced him because of his hands. What?!

Tony is Italian. Well, Italian from  New York City's Little Italy.  His grandparents emigrated from Italy, his father like he was born in New York, and his mother was a full-blooded Italian.

"We Italians speak with our hands," he tells me. "We can't do it any other way!"

His first wife was from an English stock, "you know, stiff upper lip, hands by your side. Just watch British films or TV series to see what I mean."  And she was from a large family living in a small house.  Tony figures that sitting at the the crowded dinner table the kids had to keep their hands in front of their bodies to eat, there was no room for gesticulation.

"So, she hated my gesticulation, it irritated the hell out of her," he says.   (His second wife is Italian. From New Jersey.)

I was reminded of my own story of hand talk.  I wanted to see a doctor, but they sent me to a psychologist.  She had a PhD in clinical psychology, was young and drop-dead gorgeous. I instantly fell in love with her.   We talked for an hour, and during that time she explained to me the effects of alcohol on the body and mind, recommending that I give up drinking.  Needless to say, I had heard before most of what she said, but this time she used her hands to described the stages of impact of alcohol as it travels through the body.

I saw her again sometime later, and then was told that she was resigning from the clinic.  Google search revealed that she was setting up private practice and getting married.  I no longer remember her name, but i haven't forgotten that mini lecture.