1…. There’s probably more cons than pros to being a lefty, but I try to turn the cons into pros as often as I can take for example:
2…. Eating with others at a table – be it round, square or rectangle. Many lefties eat with the fork in the right hand and knife in the left but I use them the “correct way” fork in left, knife in right. But being a lefty it’s my left arm that’s moving the most and when I sit next to right handed people we bump elbows. A lot. How to turn this into a pro? Tell the waiter/ waitress or host that you are a lefty and ask to sit at an outer left hand corner of the table. You might even get to sit at the head or foot of the table if you mention that you are a lefty. The pro is that you end up with more room than many of the other dinners. I haven’t thought of any solutions for round table dinning except to try not to sit at one.
3…. Lefties usually write with the paper slanted to the right. School desks made for right handed students were a big problem – very hard to use if you are a lefty. Luckily I’m not in school anymore so I very rarely encounter “right handed” desks.
4…. I do have a problem when I sit at other peoples computers or use the computers at work. They are usually set up for right handed people. Most of the time I just have to move the mouse, but sometimes I can’t because the mouse cord is too short. Other times the whole set up is too difficult for me to use- the angle of the monitor is wrong, and or the keyboard is placed in a difficult to use place.
5…. Scissors! My first memory of using scissors is in kindergarten. I think it was my adventures with scissors that made me realize as a kid that I was just a little bit different from most of the other kids. I can remember how sore those little scissors made my hand feel when I tried to cut the construction paper. My inner thumb and outer index finger would end up blistered if I did a lot of cutting – and that still happens if I can’t find left handed scissors when I need a pair. Since I’m the chief scissor user in the house all of the scissors are left handed. Poor Chris.
6…. A lot of tools and kitchen appliances are difficult or even dangerous for lefties to use. Knives that are serrated only on one side often do a poor job in the hands of a lefty. I have a special bread slicing knife that my sister gave me as a gift but I can’t use it at all. Potato peelers, manual canopeners, even pitza cutters are tedious to use. Yes many of these items are made for lefties now but they can be hard to find and more often than not are more expensive.
7…. I have left handed pruners for my gardening but I had to special order the kind that I wanted and they cost about $20 more than the right handed model of the same kind.
8…. Only left handed people are in their Right mind. Have you heard that one before? The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, and the right side controls the left side of the body. So I’m in my right mind … maybe, well sometimes.
9…. Being right minded, it’s said that left handed people are more creative than many right handers. I am creative, well at least I think so. I like to draw, and I used to do a lot of graphic arts, my husband who is a muscian says I have a good singing voice so I guess I can sing. I enjoy photography but I’m not sure that I’d call that a talent just yet, however I am working on it.
10…. Studies have indicated that left handed people have a higher incidence of autoimmune disorders – inflammatory bowel disease (Ulcerative colitis, crohns), Arthritis, lupus … Unfortunately I’m one of the lefties with Crohns.
11…. Toilet paper. You don’t realize how important toilet paper placement is until you are left handed and the toilet paper is to the far right and perhaps set up so that the paper comes from the back of the roll (under). It’s hard to use that way. We have to use our right hand to get it, and for me the rolls that are set up so that the paper comes from under the roll – usually at the back of the dispenser or against the wall are the hardest to get at.
12…. Pens that have ink in them that doesn’t dry almost immediately when it’s put to paper are a royal pain too. Lefties end up smearing what they’ve written or end up with ink on the outside of their hand.
13…. I guess another pro of being left handed is that we learn to adapt to situations easily. We have to – we live in a right handed world and we need to use our right hands probably far more often than most right handed people have to use their left.
Bonus – A con. It’s hard for right handed people to teach lefties things that are “very” right handed. Things like knitting for example … some people have tried to teach me in the past but they ended up confusing both themselves and me in the process. My husband has been supposed to teach me guitar for over a decade now but he’s hesitant since I’m left handed. Maybe someday he’ll teach me the right handed way and I’ll figure out how to do it left handed on my own. Back to kindergarten – I can remember a teacher trying to teach me to tie my shoes – even that can be hard for a righty to teach a lefty.
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My mum is left handed and was forced to write with her right hand at school by being constantly whacked. I always thought I was fairly knowledgable about what lefties need, but I had never thought about toilet paper before.
Earlier this week (or maybe it was late last week… I can’t keep track of time!), England’s only shop for left-handed people closed down. I am not left-handed, but I used to walk past it every day when I first moved to the UK on my way to work, so I was sad to see it go.
I am not left-handed, but my mother-in-law is, and she is always complaining about scissors and knives!
So…it’s like you guys are circus freaks or something, right?
Hey I’m left handed too & I really enjoyed your TT. I have always had to be careful when buying things like knives, peelers, etc. I eat ( hold the fork) with my left hand tooI have manage to teach my right handed daughter to write tho’…
I’m a lefty too. Yeah, I switch my knife and fork when my right hand isn’t cooperating, but I always use the mouse with my right hand.
It’s easy for right-handed people to be jealous of our many talents 🙂
I’m a fellow lefty, and I have pondered doing a blog post like this, but you’ve done it far better than I could have. I was thinking of famous lefties. Did you know that one of the greatest rock guitarists (Jimi Hendrix) and one of the great pop songwriters (Paul McCartney) are both lefties? So was Curt Kobain. In 1992, it was inevitable that a leftie would be elected president, as all three candidates — Bill Clinton, George Bush I, and H. Ross Perot — were all left-handed.
Happy Thursday,
AC
I have never thought about some of those before, like the toilet paper one….so true I guess! Fun list.
you are completely right with #13. granted i’m not good at sports, but i can use my right hand just as well as my left for most any game. i do sometimes get my lefts and rights confused when giving directions but i completely blame it on being a lefty in a righty world.
as to your bonus, it may help to sit across from the teacher rather than side by side. they don’t have to think it through to tailor it to you, you can just mirror them. at least that’s how my mom taught me to knit.
i’ve posted too at
http://blog.myspace.com/christengarland
my mom’s a leftie, and no one wants to sit beside her at restaurants cuz of elbow bumping. My poor mommy. 🙂
I’ve heard that scissors story from other lefties I’ve known. Bummer!
My four year old son has yet to decide which hand is his primary. He goes back and forth all the time…but two of his grandma’s where left handed, so that could stick.
Interesting; my aunt is a leftie & I never really paid much attention to how different things must be for her. I can not stand t-paper that is under; it must be over in my house.
Thanks for visiting my TT. Have a terrific day! 🙂
I was the youngest of 3, both older brother and sister were lefties. I was the only right-handed child. I don’t know if it is genetics or something else, but I bat and golf left-handed. Finding left-handed women’s golf clubs is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Both my parents (right-handed) do many sports left-handed. I suppose this is where I get my trait from.
My mom has successfully taught people to knit and crochet if they are lefties. She does it by having them sit across from her so they mirror her. That way it gives the appearance of being on the left.
Another interesting thing. I have UC and it runs in my family, too!
I think my daughter who has just turned one may be a lefty. I’ve noticed lately that she seems to use her left, more than her right. Interesting facts. I have a BIL and a SIL who are left handed.
I have to totally agree with you on this. I too am a lefty, and I run into these cons, and the pros on a daily basis. Especially the scissors. And I also learned to hold the fork in my right hand. When I was younger, I played softball, and for the 1st two years, I played right handed because I didnt want to be the only outcast on the team. When my coach found out, he made me start playing left handed, and I did great! Thanks so much for sharing.
My favorite aunt is a leftie! And some great baseball players too.
Ambidextrous here, but proud to say mostly a lefty.
My husband and I are both right handed, but three of our five kids are lefties. I had never even thought about the toilet paper thing. I’m going to have to preposition the holder.
Amen sistah….
I’m a lefty and I encounter some of the same things as you. Especially the bumping elbows at the dinner table.
As far as writing…I’ve adapted to where I can write with the paper straight up and down, although I used to have to turn the paper sideways.
Enjoyed your site.
You know, my son is a lefty and I think it’s a great way for him to understand discrimination. Seriously. As a presumably-straight, white male, being a lefty gives him a glimmer of what things are like when the world around you is fashioned for someone else.
Always fun to pop in here.
I injured my right hand and was forced to be a lefty for a couple weeks. It was interesting. I can now relate with smudging my writing and getting ink smeared on my hand.
Before the internet, I had the hardest time finding the model golf clubs I wanted to use. We’ve all been there, you go into a golf shop and there are no less than 30 sets of right handed clubs and there are 2 sets of no name left handed clubs!
Now because of the internet, I can easily find the exact clubs I want. Back in December I found a Taylormade Ti Titanium Driver for $25!
Chuck
I Am a lefty also and love it, i have a balance of both left handed and right handed friends, matbe thats why.I love that because i don’t feel so different when we go out to eat and i feel how they feel . i know exactly how it feel to eat with knife and fork , but i don’t feel it is so so much because i sit next to my left handed friends( no elbow fights ).The strangest thing , although i am a left hander, i cut with my right hand ! its strange but its true, i was not forced or anything , i just happened that way. Thank you for writing the pros and cons of left handers, cause i know how you feel.
That interesting about the autoimmune disease increase. I’m a leftie with Colitis.
It’s actually pretty easy to play guitar with your left hand–in fact, because most of the work in guitar playing is done by the left hand when it frets and changes chords, you’ll have an easier time! Your right hand usually will be doing repetitive stuff like strumming or picking through chords so it doesn’t really make a difference at all.
me being a lefty hasn’t really been much hindered my ability to do a lot of different things. There are a lot of things that I do that are with my right hand as well as my left so I guess I could say im a little ambidextrous but really it isnt that bad at all for me. I love trying things with both hands and seeing which one i am better with. Just a fun way to try different things.
i just started playing guitar on my moms old right handed guitar and being a leftie it was hard trying to learn the right handed way so i flipped it and it was so much easier!
you should really think about it if you don’t want to buy a guitar for lefties