Anonymous hands

A photograph on the cover of today's NY Times shows John McCain shaking hands with supporters at a rally in Westerville, Ohio. Presumably, you're supposed to focus on him, standing above the sea of faces and fingers. What draws my attention, though, is one arm in particular, sheathed in a sensible-looking beige ribbed sweater. The associated hand is slender, strong, with veins like the roots of an old apple tree. It's a beautiful hand. It has a story to tell.