Talking Hands

How many people out there are incapable of talking without moving their hands?  Yep, me too.  I say it's hereditary.  I swear if we tied my mom's arms to her side, she would become mute.  I actually think this is kind of cute, but unfortunately can lead to some misunderstandings. 

I have one memory in particular that comes to mind to describe my mom's (and mine) animatedness (let's assume that's a word).  I was in junior high and riding in the car with my mom, my brother, and a friend.  My mom and brother were in the front seat having a normal conversation, and my friend and I were in the back having a completely different conversation.  Suddenly, my friend stops mid-sentence, stares at my mom and her eyes get really wide.  Then she slowly turns to me and whispers, "Why is your mom so mad?  What did your brother do?"

I guess I should also mention that my mom and brother were speaking in Spanish, and my friend couldn't understand a word.  Since my mom was so animated (and loud), and she couldn't understand what she was saying, she assumed my brother was getting yelled at for doing something bad.  I just laughed and explained that they were just talking about what to have for dinner (or something boring like that).

Thinking back at her reaction, I wonder how many times people have seen my mom and me (or other family members) in the car and assumed we were having a huge fight.  I've also noticed something random lately -- I'm also very animated when talking on the phone.  I'm not sure why; it's not like the person on the other end can see me.  For some reason it seems like I can get my point across better if I allow myself to use my hands.  I know, weird.