The Feeling Of Touch
“Touch is the primary sense, and the tactile sense is the primordial way of experiencing life” (Nathan). Without touch I wouldn’t be able to physically feel the things that I do everyday, or really have any sense about what is going on around me. I wouldn’t be able to feel the cold air on my skin in the winter time, or the warmth of the summer’s sun. But physical touch isn’t the only kind of touch there is; I am touched in an emotional or mental way when somebody says something nice to me or performs an act of kindness. I think that without either of these different aspects of the word touch, my life would be changed completely.
The physical sense of touching is one that is very important to me. Without it I would not be able to feel things such as the touch of a loved one, the feel of a soft blanket on my skin, or even the feel of my hair brushing across my face. “Touch teaches us that we live in a three-dimensional world” (Ackerman 94). Ackerman is simply stating that by touching something in a physical way, one can tell that it is three-dimensional. I also believe that a physical touch can lead to an emotional one. An example of this is having a sensual relationship with somebody that I truly care about. When this person kisses my lips, the touch is simply physical, but the passion behind the kiss causes me to be touched emotionally. I agree with Diane Ackerman completely when she stated, “It’s as if, in the complex language of love, there were a word that could only be spoken by lips when lips touch, a silent contract sealed with a kiss” (Ackerman 109).
Touch can also be defined as an emotional experience. In the article “The Common Touch” the author explains how receiving a letter or gift touches our hearts (Watson). I would describe emotional touch as the feeling of joy and warmth in my heart. When someone tells me something they like about me or when I see somebody performing a kind act, it touches my heart. Knowing that there are still decent people in the world makes me want to open my heart even more to others so I can touch their hearts also. When I am emotionally touched by somebody, I usually feel a stronger connection with that person, because whatever the experience may be, it’s usually a genuine one.
I know that I will never really be able to describe the word touch using just one definition, because I think of it in so many different ways. I physically touch many things throughout each and every day that I live and would be lost in the world without my sense of touch. I am also touched emotionally and mentally by things that happen to me. When I am having a bad day and my famly and friends try to make me feel better, I am emotionally touched. The sense of touch is perhaps the sense that is used most, both physically and emotionally, in peoples’ everyday lives, and I don’t think that one definition will ever be enough to truly describe its definition.
