Sometimes it's the little things in our lives, serving us unnoticed, that really need to speak out.

"BLUE COLLAR THUMBS"

We know we’re opposable, and that’s a fancy claim to fame.

But over the years it’s become evident, our jobs have changed.

We used to do much more when tasks demanded our skills,

like holding the jar lid firmly and turning the circle without letting contents spill.

But now the rubber disk she grabs and neither of us breaks a sweat.

We wish that ugly, floppy rubber thing and she had never met.

We still hold her pen when she writes, but it’s not a very hard job.

With cushion grips and gel-ball points, the thumb chosen just glides along.

Now, the computer is a place where she spends much of her time.

The fingers get to dance while the ergonomic bar is where we lay and only occasionally climb.

Handshakes used to be fun because one of us would meet a new thumb on top.

But with all the germ-a-phobes, that good time has all but come to a screeching stop.

We’re careful about giving anyone the “good to go” sign, lest it be seen

by some other culture who views it nasty, vulgar or obscene.

We were very busy in the sixties, a time when we always had to look our best.

We both took turns waving in the wind to find her a Good Samaritan’s heart to test.

Although we’re not as busy today as once we were, she’ll never let us go, and that’s for sure.

We three are still very close and just by the little things she does; we know her love is pure.

She paints us pretty colors, takes us everywhere she goes and still lets us cradle her fork.

We know that sounds not so grown and really kinda sappy.

Oh yeah .. we still grasp, but our most important role now, which we embrace gladly,

is tapping on the steering wheel just to make her happy.

© bergman-althouse