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Originally Posted by leftyderek
Talking about handwriting, I have spent some time on developing my own hand writing style- I do have a messy handwriting but I am satisfied with it. Some people told me it looks cool while some just said it's a total mess. I like the uniqueness of it- most righties' handwritings are neater but more boring in a sense. I know a left handed girl whose handwriting looks EXACTLY like a 3rd grader (and she loves to takes notes in color pencils or crayons), and I think it's so sweet  .
At least when I posted/left hand written notes on a notice board (in a small community of around 200 students in my high school in Norway) or on peoples' desks, I didn't really have to sign it since left handers' handwritings are more recognizable and unique anyway- think this as an advantage!
About adaptation. (the movie is great btw), I actually try to use my left to do as many thing as possible while sometimes I do have impulses to learn to use my right- I learned to use chopsticks equally well (well I'm chinese...) with both hands. I learned that when I was small, after my Dad (born lefty, raised righty under violence of his father) kept switching hands during one dinner.
When I was still at 'home' in Hong Kong, I loved to switch hands suddenly during dinner just to make the family feel confused.
Once during dinner mom was like, 'Derek... I thought you were left handed...'
*me switches back to left hand*
And I went, 'you were just hallucinating mom...'
Oh about my father raised righty under violence. I think this happens mostly in Asia, probably China since we only use one hand to hold our eating tool- the chopsticks.
So when the family sits at the table, enjoying some nice rice and steamed fish, the lefty would ALWAYS elbow the person on his/her left. And of course, it's considered very impolite, so some old-fashioned fathers tried to train their kids through conditioning. Punishments (for my father) include getting whipped with chopsticks on his left (yes, they are powerful weapons- trust me it hurts), no dinner, face smacked hard... my dad told me that he got a wooden chair thrown at him once. The horror, the horror.
Sadly I never got the chance to have a meal with Grandpa- heavy drinking didn't make him last long. I was told he died when I was around 2 years old or something. I was also told that as a pretty bad tempered and violent man, he behaved completely different when he held me in his arms- so I always wonder what kind of person he ACTUALLY is/was/would be.
Luckily my dad is a rather understanding person (in most cases) and let me grow up as a jolly lefty boy. |
That was great read leftyderek..
Some people like my writing, some people feel it's chicken scratch, and I have to agree with them, when I'm taking notes in class I usually write sloppy, to the point that sometimes I can't read it. I generally have to sit and rewrite notes. I mean it serves a dual purpose, I can make my notebook look that much neater and the rewrite actually forces me to remember the content better....colors? Supposedly lefties have a creative way about them..i've yet to find mine so if I do, i'll let you know haha.
People tend to doubletake on my signature. When the UPS or FedEx guy comes around and I sign his little electronic device thingie (well UPS at least) he lets out a chuckle, each and every single time. Then he'll ask, 'you CAN read and write right?'
I realize, I write only with my left hand, but a lot of other things I do are with the right, I'm sure a lot of that is just a product of necessity. I dial a cellphone with my right, yet I use a calculator with my left..Supposedly when you're righthanded you snowboard regular, and lefties snowboard goofy, I haven't quite made affirmed that yet because my cousin's a rightie and snowboards goofy, while I'm lefty and I'm more comfortable regular (even if I'm still bad at it lol) And its funny, now that it's been mentioned, I'm that much more aware..
I'm utterly amazed that you can use chopsticks with both hands. I wonder if your mom's figured you out yet haha. I've always been amazed by those really big cooking chopsticks. I'm not sure why..
I can actually relate to the whole beaten your kid in chinese culture thing. My best friend's chinese and he's told me lots of stories about getting his ass kicked by his parents (of course mostly to straighten him out) and it's actually worked..He's in his upper 20's and he's still afraid of his parents...I didn't realize it was that prevalent in chinese culture.
I still tend to elbow people who sit on the left side of me. I always have to make a very conscious effort not to hit others or I just sit a little farther cause if we bump elbows it's likely to be my fault. It sucks cause I don't think the righties even have to make that consideration. I also heard somewhere that lefties die, on average, 8 years before righties do. That's a little disturbing...I dont think we're that much more hazardous than our counterparts.
About your grandfather...It's very sad that you never got a chance to sit and have a meal with him, but at least he held you, and he held you lovingly (so it seems) Sometimes even the most violent of people can be softhearted in the presence of a child....
I went to a lefthanded store in San Diego once, and it was cool, but the sad part was a lot of what was sold were there for gag gifts..There were a few items that could've been applied to 'real life' but for the most part, everything just tickled a part of me that went 'no shit huh'...
I do, however, feel very special when I'm in a classroom and notice that more than half the class is righthanded. I kinda like being lefthanded....ok I really like being lefthanded.