Men are often amused when they are told that women can fall in love with them because of their hands. Hands? Men would rather be loved for their bodies, as witnessed by gay magazines, but they would perhaps settle for their eyes, the windows of their minds, or their faces, the windows’ frames. However, it does not take much thought to realize that human hands—among the marvels of evolution—are not only as expressive as eyes or faces, but perhaps even more so because we are so much more cunning with our faces than our hands. Until we learn the true value of hands in courtship, that is.

Addendum I (January 3, 2001)

Having read this piece, Marko wrote that the medical students among his friends had found the dissection of the hands one of the most difficult parts of the dissection process. Then he added that he was almost sure that the face was actually the most difficult, but that his friends put hands as the very close second. All this is done in the first year of medical school. Reverse engineering at its best. Marko does not say anything about the dissection of the brain, though. This is something his friends will probably have to wait for a bit longer.

Addendum II (November 30, 2016)

This piece is ostensibly about men and women, but the underlying story is as personal as they come. Actually, it is about my beloved and me. Surprise, surprise. Early on, she admitted that she fell in love with me because of my hands, which she found most beautiful. For my sins, I fell in love with her because of her feet. To be a bit more precise, her toes. To this day, one of my regular mobile-phone text-messages to her is straightforward: “I kiss your toes.” Her reply is predictable enough: “I kiss your fingers.” When we are together, though, I kiss her feet over an over again. I still find them most beautiful, I admit.