FIRST AND LAST

I've been asked umpteen times to show it. Sometimes, even in social settings, the topic would come to this, and the million-dollar request would be made, "Com'on. Show them!". It feels almost like an obligation, and I always have to face an internal struggle before acceding to fulfill the obligation. Most of the time, I don't really like being cajoled to show them to people; especially prior to this post.

Before this post, only a small handful of friends know of it. Less than 10, I guess. After discovering that it's a genetic trait and Megan Fox has them too, I was absolutely delighted to know that I'm not the only lone weirdo strutting on earth with weird thumbs.



Clubbed thumb.
Potter's thumb.
Hammer thumb.
Stubbed thumb.
Toe thumb (because the thumbs look like toes).
Royal thumb (because it has been linked to inbreeding among European royalty centuries ago).
Murderer's thumb (because, according to Indian palmistry, individuals with clubbed thumbs are characterized by having an iron control over emotions and an almost endless patience which, if overstepped, might just "snap" and "explode" irrevocably).
Scientific/medical term? Brachydactyly Type D.



I've always been more or less self-conscious of them; at times to the extent of subconsciously bending my fingers slightly to hide the unsightly and weird-looking thumbs beneath the forefinger to avoid them being captured in pictures.

Even right now, I'm still learning how to love them; and not to hide them. Worse still, I have 2 clubbed thumbs (some only have 1). Occasionally, as a way of shifting the uncomfortable attention, I would jokingly say, "You know, this is quite an uncommon genetic trait. Only approximately about 1 in 1000 people have it; and females tend to have a higher chance of getting it. So, it means that, statistically speaking, per every 1000 female friends that you have, I am the special 1 in 1000. If you don't have 1000 female friends yet, rejoice, my friend! Because you're sooo LUCKY! You've just hit the jackpot, don't you know that?!"






THIS SEXY LADY - MEGAN FOX - HAS THEM!



The pros and cons to clubbed thumb(s), in my opinion:

PROS:
1) If you can't find a hammer, you can just use your thumb.
2) You can use your toe thumb in a game of soccer and argue your way through ("Hey! it's called a TOE thumb! It's not really a foul!").
3) If you, in the case of an unfortunate event, lose or have to amputate a toe from your foot or a thumb from your hand; worry not! You already have spare ones!
4) You are certainly more efficient in squashing ants to death (more surface area per unit time).
5) Your pinches pack more power than the average Joe (again, because more surface area per unit time).
6) You give back massages and shoulder rubs which are of higher quality (again, SA per unit time!). =)


CONS:
1) If someone asks to, "Give me 2 thumbs up!", you can't.
2) Doing finger-printing is a bother; because your thumb imprint looks like a toe imprint.
3) They don't make false toe-nails and so, a full set is out of the question.
4) You'll be susceptible to athlete's foot on your hands (ok, this is a lil' lame).
5) Playing bowling kind of bothers you (I have to up a notch to weight 8 or 9, because the fat thumb tend to get stuck in the fingerhole. As weight 8 or 9 is a tad too heavy for me, my ball would roll down the alley with the speed of a crawling snail).
6) You will forever be accused of sucking too hard on your thumbs when you were a baby (tell me about it!!! ARGHHH!!! !!! !!! I AM SO LONG-SUFFERING!!!).









Ok, this is my real thumb (only the left one though, cos I need my right hand to take the picture). And I'm still learning how to love them and not hide them.

You've seen it. I've shown it. Whoever asks again from today onwards will get referred to this url.

And this is the first time ever in my life I'm "broadcasting" the thumbs like this when I've spent my last 22 years hiding them (psst... Is this a breahthrough? Ha!). This shall be the first time I'm posting a picture of my thumbs, and it might jolly well be the last. Feels weird. Uncomfortable. Feels like my privacy is intruded and a sacred secret is being breached. One word: violated.



Love me, love my clubbies!



P.S. (6.48pm). Just realized that Fox and I are born in the SAME year! We're of the SAME AGE!
She is totally HOT!!!