Are You A Lefty?
I was born left handed but beaten to the right by my schoolteachers. Writing with the left hand was not an option when I went to school. Pushing the pencil or one of those pens with the long nibs across the paper often ended up with a hole in the paper.
The result was that the things I did at home, I continued to use the left hand while those tasks performed at school were done with the right hand. Even today, I still eat with my knife in the left hand. The same goes for when I use a spade.
By the time I was nine I could write equally well with both hands and the only way to know when I switched hands was the slant of my letters, which brought on a few hidings before I seized the practice.
But it is not all bad news because – even though I ‘unlearned’ the ability to write with the left hand, I’m ambidextrous in many tasks. I can use a hammer and play pool with either hand. I can bat both left-handed or right-handed though there is a difference. I can hit the ball harder with the left hand but I am a much safer batsman when I take strike right handed. Oh, did I mention that I can play chess, checkers and monopoly equally well with either hand?
Being left handed is rather unique. Only one in ten people are south-pawed but certain species, like the sulpher-crested cockatoo, are entirely left-clawed while most parrot species predominantly use the left claw.
But being left is not all kosher. The Latin word for sinister also means left or evil while the Sanskrit word for left can also mean wicked. Differences in the lefty’s brain can lead to disorders like schizophrenia and one study showed that 40% of the sufferers were left-handed. It was long believed that left-handers were more prone to alcoholism but research proved this wrong. However, it was established that left-handers do drink more often.
Left-handed politicians hold an advantage in TV debates, as their gestures appear right-handed on screen and appeal to the right-handed majority. And finally, left-handed medieval knights had the advantage when invading castles because the clock-wise spiral of the staircases restricted the sword’s swing for the invaders.
Many famous people are (or were) left handed. Amongst them, we can count Bill Clinton (if we can believe him), Benjamin Franklin, Joan of Arc, Alexander the Great, Charlemagne, Julius Caesar, Prince Charles, Napoleon, Fidel Castro, Jack the Ripper, Paul McCartney, and many more. So, if you are left handed, don’t feel left out.
A grand day to you all.
Comments (28)
when I was in my teen's I had a friend, his mom used to do
everything with her left hand, except to write
I asked my friend why, he said, mom was forced at school to
write with her right hand...so sad.
Well, at least you made it sound like fun!
Why would you want to be south-pawed? There is no advantage in it. We do not invade castles with clockwise spiraling staircases any more.
this one is also true, I had a co-worker, he was lefty
but played his guitar right-hand, he said this was natural on him
no one taught him to play guitar with right hand
But! I see with both my eyes...
When the subject of being left handed comes up, most of the time , left handed men are usually mentioned , what famous females are left handed.
You have a Great Day,
when I was in the army lefty soldiers had to installed
a special device on their M-16 when firing so the empty shell
fell to the other side without hitting the one on the right.
Now at last I have sussed it out why I was always left of the government.
Why would left be seen as liberal and right as conservative?
Wel, Joan of Arc was left-handed but I don't think it mattered. Did she ever use her hands?
Well! Most of us Liberals, are lefty's! And like the song, sings.
They is singing to the Lefty's....
nice story.
Now that I am in fact have a right wrist fracture...I am now discovering the ability to use my left hand...cannot fathom why people are shunned by being left handed...my dad is also left-handed but is able to write and do most things right handed due to beliefs that being a lefty was sinful...wtf...
As my one teacher used to say: "Writing left in stead of right is wrong.
Luckily I was never told that it is sinful. At our time it was a practical solution to a real problem. My only problem was with the way that it was applied (on the posterior end). Then I must add that I was not very co-operative in the exercise. I switched hands as soon as the teachers turned their backs.
I think it all goes back to: "what the mind can conceive and believe....the mind can achieve"!
When I was in my first year of high school, I broke my right arm. I am right handed. I loved playing table tennis! I taught myself how to play left handed. Pretty quick, with lots of practice, I got pretty good at it. We had a table tennis tournament and I won playing left handed! I also sweep the floor left handed! Everything else I do right handed. Go figure!
You know, I have a lot of ball-sense and if a game is played with a spherical object, I can play it but table tennis is one of the few games I could not master. Maybe it's all in the head because the guy who tried to get me interested, used the thrash me all the time. He went on to become our provincial champion during our final year in school.
have a great day my friend
Known fact, leftys r smarter than rightys, intellectually in all cognitive capacities
Hmm, I fell asleep immediately when I went back to bed but my night's rest was ruined. I won't make old bones tonight.
Things have changed a lot. Today you can buy left hand guitars off the shelf and it goes for a lot of other gadgets and tools like scissors, can openers, tin snippers, tape measures, etc. Before we had to use these thing with our right hand. For that reason left-handers were more ambidextrous than right-handers in general. I suppose that will change in the years to come.
That is indeed rare. I'm the only one in my family that I'm aware of, though two of my friends are left-handed.
Lefty here also. I remember the edge of my hand always covered with ink after writing a lot in school. Now I know why I drank so much in my younger days.
Not to mention...going out and buying swords tomorrow.
Ah Johnny, we are at a disadvantage when defending a a clockwise staircase. The were designed to be defended by right-handers.