I'm noticeably left-handed. Thankfully, I wasn't hampered growing up left-handed and it's not that I cannot do things with my right hand. My preference is to be left-handed. For the record, I take offense to being called a
'South-Paw' and cannot understand the logic. Perhaps, someone was facing West when they coined that phrase.
I got along in most school sports being left-handed... but they always wanted to assign me on first base, probably because the only left-handed glove owned by the school was for a first baseman.
Archery was fun as the cheap bows were ambidextrous. It's when you progress to a compound bow that you need a left-handed model.
Guitar was a challenge at first. Around 1965, my dad took me to a pawn shop and we paid $17 for a Spanish guitar. It was right handed and I tried... but, I switched the strings to be left-handed and felt natural in doing so. The teacher at the local music store said all the strength was in my left hand, so that's the hand that needed to be in the neck. I should be playing right handed. I gave him the same advice and told him he was playing backwards as his stronger hand should be on the neck. He needed to be playing left-handed. Well, that killed any plans of taking guitar lessons at that music store!
My mother was a seamstress and owned her own shop. More often than not, I was required to work there after school. Her scissors had molded handles that were difficult to hold 'upside-down' so I was forced to cut right handed. Also, she had an industrial steam iron with a hose that connect to a boiler unit. This unit was designed only to be used with the right hand.
When making templates, I'll use my left hand to draw or trace lines. If I'm cutting with a razor knife, I'm left-handed but if the template is to be scissor cut, I'll use my right hand.
I do know of a left-handed guy who learned to play guitar right-handed and he made a comment that he wished he had started out left-handed as playing 'opposite' to what really felt natural had reduced his musical creativity.
Interesting thought. On the other hand... it was only a theory!
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