Left Handed is a Way of Life

I was born into a mixed family. My father and older brother are right handed, my mother and I are lefties. This turned out to be both an advantage and a disadvantage.

Mom taught me how to write so no one would notice - as she had had to teach herself 'way back when "they" would make you change if they noticed you writing left handed. I also had the advantage of having a very understanding family when problems with the right handed world reared their ugly heads.

We left handers are not looking for "special" treatment, or sympathy. We just resent the fact that the world is geared to the right. "Keep to the right," right handed desks in school, and a host of mechanical and household tools that are right handed. If a clerk hands you a paper to sign, it is invariably handed at the angle that a right hander would be comfortable with. The lefty has to first realign the paper and then sign.

Any right hander who might be reading this and thinking, "It can't be that bad," just try a couple of the following:

1. If you have a spiral notebook handy, turn the notebook over so that the wire is on the right and see how comfortable it is writing with the spiral under your writing arm.

2. With a manual can opener, try to open a can using the "other" hand.

3. Look at your pen or pencil. Hold it in your right hand. You can read the inscription on it, can't you? Now put it in your left hand and hold it as if you were going to write. Can you read the inscription?? Didn't think about something even as simple as that, did you?

4. With that same pencil approach a pencil sharpener and try to sharpen it using the "other" hand. Looks as if it might be simple enough to just go around to the other side and sharpen away, right? Imagine a third grader trying that and actually unscrewing the handle thus tearing up the sharpener in front of the entire class!!

The only thing I have found really convenient for the left hander is getting on a horse! wonder who figured that one out.

Survey

What follows is a list that started on the alt.lefthanders newsgroup just for fun and just grew and grew. The question came up concerning handedness and its realtionship to birth sign. the actual question was: "Are most left handers Geminis as well?"

According to this highly UNscientific list, it is a close race. If you are left handed and would like to add your name and sign, please click here to email the list. Put the word "left" in the subject line. The list will be updated daily. As of 10/4/05, Gemini still has a commanding lead with 26! Scorpio now has 17 just barely ahead of Aries and Virgo tied at 15. Librans, who keep asking if they have "balanced the scale" yet, are increasing slowly at 11 now!

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Last updated 10/4/05.