What You Don’t Have To Think About
I had a troubleshooting call this week that turned into something more than just resolving an issue.
About half the time was spent working through a concern with the thumb. We were able to recreate what I was experiencing and talk through it in real time.
One example that came up was something simple.
Reaching for a bottle of water using a power grip. A motion that’s starting to feel more natural with practice.
Partway through, the hand switched into a key grip unexpectedly, and the bottle slipped.
It’s a small moment. A few seconds at most. But it says a lot.
Not because something “failed,” but because learning how to use this kind of technology isn’t linear. You can feel progress building, and then run into a moment where your body and the device aren’t quite in sync yet.
That’s where the real learning happens.
At another point in the conversation, I was asked a simple question:
“How would waterproofing help you in your day-to-day life?”
My answer wasn’t about the feature itself. It was about a moment.
Running into a store on a cloudy day to grab something simple, like butter. Walking back out to a Florida downpour. Not having to stop, adjust, or think about protecting the hand. Just continuing on.
It made me realize how much of this experience isn’t about what the technology can do at its best, but what it allows you to stop thinking about altogether.
We also talked about learning to use the device. There are dozens of grip patterns available, but I’ve found that focusing on a small handful and getting them to feel automatic is what actually builds confidence.
Not everything at once. Just enough to move naturally.
What people often see with this kind of technology are the big moments.
The first grasp. The new movement. The visible progress.
What they don’t always see are the smaller ones.
The adjustments. The split-second decisions. The moments where something either works without thought, or makes you pause and recalibrate.
That’s where most of the learning happens.
And honestly, that’s the part I’ve become most interested in sharing.
Prosthetic and non-prosthetic users alike: What’s one small moment in your day that would feel different if you didn’t have to think about it?
