Our hands are very useful things. The fingers of our hands work together well. They, like people are meant to cooperate. The thumbs are said to be 'opposed' . It means they are opposed to the direction of our fingers. This is not so that they can accuse them of every infraction they can come up with (or perhaps, invent) out of vengeance and/or blind allegiance to the 'cause of thumbs', but rather to help the body grasp things and promote the useful cause of our species.
I do wish I didn't have to keep addressing this same old issue.
Opposing thumbs enable a waller who is doing his job to apply pressure to either side of a rock to create enough friction to suspend the rock in the air without it slipping, and so effectively pick up a rock and put it in a wall. The pressure and friction is not supposed to vaporize the rock. A waller who is more interested in building a war than a wall will be tempted to see aggression and 'opposition' as his duty, out of pride or fear of losing his or her status amongst their fellow dry stone warriors. This obviously can do a lot of damage. It is also stupid and unproductive.
Interestingly the idea of opposing thumbs can be falsely defined as the giving both the 'thumbs up' and the 'thumbs down' at the same time. This of course describes the sending of a mixed message. I give two thumbs up to people who are honestly trying to 'grasp' dry stone walling here in Canada, as well as those of any walling organization who offer the hand of friendship, communication, good faith and who do not 'oppose' wallers unfairly behind their backs. My blog is open. The organizations I belong to can be joined by anyone.
My thumbs are opposed to the constant finger pointing . I look forward toward to a time when hands are joined in celebration of the peaceful art of walling. Actually, that's what the annual International Dry Stone Wall Festival – 'Rocktoberfest' in Canada, is all about.
And like this blog, it's FREE.
