I figured it would be a charming thing. He said sometimes it was, but it could also be distracting. He said he learned this when he was teaching. Several times after that, I was talking and gesticulating and he'd grab my hands and each time, I was rendered speechless.
I didn't think about it at all after I left Boston. Until yesterday afternoon. I was explaining some serious financial shit to my client when all of a sudden, I noticed my hands flailing about. Which completely distracted me. I asked her if I talked with my hands and she said I did. I asked if it was distracting. And she said it was, a little. That she noticed that my thumbs bend back, like Christina Aguilera's when she's a judge on The Voice - which is apparently one of many American Idol tv show copies. Soooo, here I am, losing all credibility (the Christina comparison) and detracting from her impression of my value-add. Whoa.
I guess I need to practice talking without my hands, which means I'll have to sit on them. One problem. I can't think, much less speak coherently without using my hands. And now I'm so self-conscious about it.
I'm going to do a little googling about this phenomenon. And I'll probably ask everyone I know what they think about it. Or not. It's probably better to try to forget about it. I suppose I've done it my whole life and it may be that my brain is hard-wired that way.
On the other hand, I should probably take better care of my fingernails. They still haven't recovered from the Gorilla Glue disaster.
Oh, well. That's very, very low on my list right now, since I'm not doing any public speaking or shopping for wedding rings at the moment. Never made it to Tiffany's in Boston. That reminds me. I found out that my COBRA doesn't expire until May 2013, so I've got more time to find a husband with good health insurance! That means the only significance of the end of July is my birthday which ends in a zero. It bothers me a little bit to think of myself as a 50 year old woman driving a mini-van. I unselfishly surrendered my Subaru Outback to kiddo since he'll be driving it to Chapel Hill this fall and it's much safer and newer than the mini-van I inherited from Mother. I don't even have a CD player. Maybe I'll splurge and get satellite radio for a birthday gift to myself.
For now, I have work to do. Over and out...
I have never in my life noticed that you use your hands when you talk. So see, it is not excessive. I once saw a former boyfriend after many years and he commented something about when did I start using my hands so much during speech. I had no idea what he was talking about. But, like you, I instantly became self conscience about it. For five minutes or so. I do not find it distracting when you talk. If the lady who noticed your clever thumbs didn't have your thumbs to look at, she'd be noticing something else...clumped mascara, missing lipstick, nose hair, whatever...so no problem there. Manicures may be a biz expense for you as part of your client/consultant communication package. Look into it.
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