I can’t snap my fingers. In the realm of personal inadequacies, that’s not such a big deal. It’s not something I find myself moping over day in and day out. But every now and then, a situation where a snap would underline a point presents itself, and I don’t have that option, or I’m in a situation where everybody’s snapping their fingers, and I have to just mimic the motion soundlessly and hope nobody catches on.
It’s not that I physically can’t, either — I made a point of learning a few years ago. I did it fine, without thinking about it, for a couple of days. And then I didn’t have a reason to snap my fingers for a few weeks, and when I tried to draw on that knowledge again, it was completely gone. Now I’m back to just making a pitiful swish when I try, and end up with my fingers in a tangled knot.
Maybe my muscle memory is just full, and I need to forget how to tie my shoes in order to free up some space.
Image: Amara Gelaude/The Cascade
Jeff was The Cascade's Editor in Chief for the latter half of 2022, having previously served as Digital Media Manager, Culture & Events Editor, and Opinion Editor. One time he held all three of those positions for a month, and he's not sure how he survived that. He started at The Cascade in 2016.
