HMPRESENTLY: Living in Strange Times

How can a human hand do that, I kept wondering, watching a 2015 baseball game… the only game on TV, that particular pandemic day.

The catcher’s fingers, signaling each pitch the catcher wanted the pitcher to throw — plus the precise, desired trajectory, for each pitch — got my attention. So much communication with fingers, in just milliseconds of time. A pinky finger going in one direction, middle fingers pointing all over the place — right, left, up, down — and the thumb pointing somewhere else entirely.

Sometimes, when the catcher and pitcher can’t agree on a particular pitch, the flying-fingers routine starts up all over again. What a strain on tendons, joints and metacarpal bones!

Before games, you see baseball players warming up on the field, working literally every muscle and tendon, stretching legs, arms and backs, getting all limbered up. But I can’t recall seeing catchers limbering their fingers. Unless I’ve been missing something.

When you’re sheltering in place, flying fingers and — other things — seem more fascinating than usual.

Even toilet paper! You know how, pre-pandemic, you had your favorite brand? Then, when the product disappeared from store shelves, TP panic set in? You were thrilled with whatever you could get. You discovered brands you’d never used before, and you started liking some of them. Brand loyalty was out the window. What a turncoat you were becoming!

Before the shortage, you had no idea a TP brand with ridges in each square worked so efficiently. And that it was nice and soft and so absorbent, to boot. Then, all of a sudden, you’re comparing features with relatives and friends. Texture, softness, durability. Even the total number of sheets per roll. You’re even chatting about it with relatives and friends, online and on the phone.

Let’s see, what else? Since mentioning face masks, awhile ago in the Daily Post, I’m noticing more new styles and features. Like face masks with special fabrics and with purifying cartridges built in, for added protection. Is this going to be a status thing? Where you’ve got to have the very latest, and the very best, in face mask style and engineering? Where a relative’s or friend’s expressions reveal tsk, tsk disappointment regarding your démodé face mask. That’s French — pronounced daymoday, I think — for ‘unfashionable’.

What’s that expression about living in strange times?

Harvey Radin

Harvey Radin is former senior vice president in charge of corporate communications and media relations, Bank of America Western Region. He makes his home in Redwood City, CA.