guest COMMENTARY

An Unspoken Language

When we were children, my two siblings and I shared the back bench seat of our parents’ sedan on long trips. Because I was the youngest and the smallest, I was often stuffed in the middle, my feet tucked up on “the hump” of the car’s floorboard. We listened to Tammy Wynette, Lynn Anderson and Charlie Pride songs on an eight-track-tape player. All the while, my brother, sister and I sang along and snapped our fingers in rhythm with the music.

And that’s what I was thinking about yesterday — the three of us snapping our fingers. It’s a gesture all of us do with our hands without even thinking about it. People from all over the world — all different cultures — snap their fingers. We snap our fingers to keep our timing when we sing, but we also snap our fingers to mean that something was very fast.

There are so many other things we do with our hands, fingers and faces — a form of nonverbal communication. Long before the world used smiley faces and other emojis to portray feelings, people used specific body motions and gestures in place of words, or to complement their words. For example, everyone understands that waving is a physical way of saying the word, “Hello.” We clap our hands when we enjoy something and want others to know how we feel. When we want someone to be quiet, we lift a finger up to our lips and sometimes make the sound, “Shhhh.” Hitchhikers extend a thumb to signal to drivers that they need a ride. These motions are all a form of an unspoken language, but a language we all understand. Here are a few other gestures to think about and remember.

Crossing a finger over your heart — Remember saying, “Cross my heart and hope to die?” This hand gesture is used to emphasize the truthfulness and sincerity of something we said.

Crossing your fingers — We cross one finger across another to signify we are hoping for good luck.

Shrugging of the shoulders — We lift and drop our shoulders to express indifference or a lack of knowledge. We shrug our shoulders instead of saying, “I don’t know” or “I don’t care.” Sticking out your tongue — We stick out our tongue to be mean, defiant, childish or funny.

Holding one finger high in the air — We often hold a finger above our heads as if we are saying, “We’re number one!” This gesture is often seen at sporting events and competitions as a symbol of victory and pride.

Making a “V” with our fingers continued from page

— I grew up in the sixties and seventies, when hippies held up their hands with palms turned outward and the first two fingers extended in a V-shape to signify the word, “peace.” Peace is a good thing. We need more of it in the world.

Blowing a kiss — We kiss our fingers and blow a puff of air across our open palms as a show of affection when we are too far away to give a person a real kiss. The other person understands we are “sending them some love.”

Pointing your middle finger upward while other fingers are folded down — Many of us have “given someone the finger” at some point in our lives. Also known as “flipping someone off,” it’s an offensive gesture usually performed in fury meaning, “Drop dead, you idiot.”

Raising your hand — We raise a hand when we have a question or want to say something when others are talking. We learn this in school and the gesture sticks with us throughout our entire lives.

Knocking on wood — We knock our knuckles on a piece of wood to bring good fortune or ward off bad luck. It’s a holdover gesture pulled from ancient superstitions.

Extending a thumb upward — We give something a “thumb’s up” to show our approval.

Extending a thumb downward — Conversely, if our thumb points down, it usually means we disapprove of something.

Winking — We blink one eye quickly to signify that we are teasing someone or as an act of flirtation.

Pressing two hands together, fingers upward — Also known as “praying hands,” we use this gesture to imply that we are praying about something, that we are asking for prayer, or that we are thankful. Smiling, shaking hands, slapping a friend’s hands up high (high fives), making a heart shape with our hands, even a child holding up five fingers to denote he or she is five years old — without uttering a single word, we communicate each day with the people in our lives using gestures and body language. How many body gestures did you use this week?