Man from the South

The story “Man from the South” involved a bet made between an American soldier and an old man, referred to as the little man by the narrator. The little man proposed a bet after the soldier said his lighter never fails. The little man told the solider that if he could light his lighter ten times without it failing, he will give the solider his Cadillac. Furthermore, if the lighter failed the little man would chop off the little finger on the soldier’s left hand. At first, the soldier opposed betting his little finger but later agreed and said that he could not think of a time in his life that his little finger on the left hand had any use. 

However, the little finger is critical for grip strength. Without the little finger an individual will not have a strong or powerful grip. Assuming the solider is right-hand dominant, his right hand is stronger and without the little finger, his left hand would be even weaker. If the soldier lost the bet, it would be challenging for him to the complete duties required of him. Soldiers are responsible for carrying their own equipment, handling and aiming a gun, as well as physical demands such as climbing a rope or propelling down a wall. All of these activities require a powerful grip. I would suggest the solider put grip tape on equipment or use gloves that will enhance grip and reduce finger slipping.

Additionally, it was revealed that the wife of the man who bet against the solider only had one finger and a thumb on one of her hands. The wife left the little man alone so she could get her hair washed. I got the impression that someone else had to wash her hair and she had difficulty completing self-care tasks. Brushing teeth could be a challenging activity since it involves precise movements of both hands. In order to increase her independence, the wife could get a toothbrush stand to stabilize the toothbrush while squeezing the toothpaste or she could get a motion sensor toothpaste dispenser.