Sometimes Atom uses this index finger to probe uncharted territory such as a new toy, a new zipper, an old face, the carpet, or peanut's head. This E.T.-like appendage acts like a scout on a recognizance mission and will leave no object poked, prodded, or unturned. Please Note When carrying Atom: Even though sometimes he moves at the speed of sloth, DO NOT underestimate the tenacity or dexterity within this finger. Poked eyes are a daily occurrence for his parents.
Sometimes his index finger becomes more like one of those reaching sticks one uses to extend their reach. I don't mean one of those metal pincher types you would find at the pharmacy but more like one of the toy ones that might have a shark or dinosaur or alligator head at the end. The pincher type usually is a by product of the souvenir shop you were dragged into (Sea World = Shark or Killer Whale, San Diego Zoo = Dolphin or Shark, Bird Sanctuary = Toucan or Shark). Sharks for some reason have become the universal symbol of pinching something to pick it up. Poor Sharks. Atom uses this toy-plastic-shark-head-like-finger to grab things and usually has the same amount of success that one has using one of the real thing.
In his most human-like movement, sometimes, he actually uses his finger to point at things or people. Even though he is seemingly communicating much the same way as a more highly developed human being (such as a traffic cop, the guys on the ground while your plane is coming into or out of it's gate, or a symphony conductor) this gesture is often the hardest to understand. His tiny little pudgy finger sometimes seems to have a mind of it's own. He may point at you when you enter the room or he may point inside his mouth. Neither of which might mean what they appear to mean. He has his own logic and we're cool with that.
The poking in the eye is another issue.
