Wild Gestures

I have long claimed that my sister, Debbie, would be incapable of talking if you bound her hands. When she is talking, Debbie is constantly flinging her hands and arms about—often with the urgency of someone chopping wood or swatting down a horde of flies. I must admit, I sometimes find myself engaged in the same behavior.

Yesterday, I took this behavior to a new level. While trying to give someone directions over the phone, I found myself gesticulating wildly—pointing and sweeping my arms about. This was not a video call. I was gesturing as a matter of habit. Even once I realized I was gesturing toward someone who could not see me, I continued doing so.

Perhaps some conversations simply demand to be spoken with our whole bodies.

—Mitchell Hegman