Life of lefties
 

I have done a brief search and couldn't find similar topics.

And.. somehow I feel obliged to raise such a discussion:

Life of lefties- how we are (un)intentionally discriminated in the world.
(or simply, special experiences due to your left-handedness)

Let me start-

Experience #1:
In kindergarten we were learning to use scissors... and ta-daa! Little lefty could not manage to cut normally and was shouted at.

Experience #2:
It happened when I was still young, 4 or 5 years old. In the subways in Hong Kong, the gates separating the paid and unpaid zone looks like this:
_____
EDIT: the 'drawing' was f---ed up in the real post. I'll try to describe it:
A metal box, waist-height (for adults) with a little slot for putting the ticket in, and a few metal bars sticking out on the left side of the box(like, your left side when you look at the thing). Get what I mean?

And they stand one next to another. So I always used my left hand to put the ticket in, and walked into the metal bar, and of course, got VERY confused.

So.. actually, any lefties here?

P.S. Have you ever noticed one can only read the brand on a pencil properly when it's held in his/her right hand? :( :confused:

I was born a lefty, but educated in parochial school in the dark ages... so they made me a righty.. I write with my right hand, but out of spite, I do everything else with my left..

In a lot of cultures lefty kids were forced to do so- like my Dad. According to my dad he would get beaten up badly by his father or teacher when he ate or write with his left hand. (Don't forget we chinese use chopsticks ;))

I can't imagine how it would be to live in the Dark Ages for lefties...

/senses that the righties out there don't really care about the 'lefty issue' that much... :(

People are (in normal circumstances) biologically wired to be right handed.

I'm left handed, and like most left handers, I'm pretty ambidextrious. Basically I write, eat, and throw with my left hand, and do everything else with my right.

My big pet peeve is writing on a dry erase board or chalkboard. I end up smearing my writing as I go. Makes me wonder why some languages evolved to be right to left. Seems like it would make the majority of people have that problem.

I had the same problem when I had to write on blackboards in high school. Getting white chalk on the sleeve was not exactly fun.

Oh it's pretty interesting. I have never thought about the problems with right-to-left languages. Chinese was supposed to be written vertically, from right to left originally- and then it got 'westernized' and 'right-handized'...

I know a couple of people whose languages are right-to-left, like Hebrew (correct me if I'm wrong) but none of them are left handed... I should ask them if they have any lefty friends.

Wtf? You feel discriminated against because you're left handed? Yeah, there are certain instances where being left handed might leave you at a disadvantage, but so what? Adapt and overcome; it's not a big deal.

When I was in boot camp and OCS I was forced to eat with my right hand even though I'm left handed. Guess what else those bastards made me do?? Fire a weapon that was made for a RIGHT HANDER! Fiends! I had hot shell casings flying past my eyes! Shell casings! Three inches in front of my eyes!

I should sue the government and make them purchase rifles that are manufactured for us handicapped people.

Oh... of course I have adapted and overcome in a lot of ways. I can do most things with both left and right, including writing. Sometimes it's just interesting to see myself doing things with the weird (right) hand. :P (Just like when you were a kid, your classmates were ALWAYS so amazed when they saw you write with your left... at least it happened to me. Not after grade 5 or 6 though-)

Righty firearms? I always thought there were left handed versions provided, or at least I've heard you can switch the parts pretty easily to have the empty shells flying on the 'right' side.
EDIT: (oh, i forgot to say) but I can totally imagine how weird, or in a more extremist sense, opressed you felt when you were forced to eat with your right...

Aye we aren't handicapped! We are gifted! I always think it's cool that we are in some way forced to learn to adapt. We can do a lot of stuff with both of our hands but most righties can't really do so... so, I'm proud of my left handedness while I sometimes, feel a little bit discriminated. Can't blame them though. We are weirdos (and I'm proud of it).

Well, whatever you want to think. Being left handed is hardly extraordinary though..

There are tons of left handed people in the world, and it's not like we all should be given medals because we are forced to mangle sheets of paper with those evil right handed scissors.

Oh, I have to admit that I'm obsessed with my left handedness...

In the middle ages lefty fencers/knights were very popular in attacking squads because the way the sprial stairs turns. In those days I'm sure a lot of the lefties got some medals or rewards. :P

Anyway- I'm really obsessed with my left handedness... sorry :-\

Actually, being left handed is actually very useful when it comes to fighting. Since the majority of people are right handed, they usually never expect that power house left hander that comes out of nowhere.

But one time I made the same mistake righties do: I thought the punch was coming from the right hand... Turned out the other guy was left handed also :|

I'm a fencer myself before I went to uni... right handed fencers see us as the nightmares since they technically have no one left handed to train with, in most cases that is.

Aye.. about the fight- did you return a left punch and make both of you standing there with :confused: faces?

I don't know if he was surprised. I know I sure was. Completely caught me off guard. Now that I think about it, I think that was the first time I boxed a left hander.

I think it was pretty much a stale mate since we were both used to blocking mainly from the other side.

I get what you mean- exactly the same when I fenced lefties- both of us just did not know how to begin our attacks. It was awkward.

I fucking...fucking hated my grade 3 teacher because of the fact that I was left handed. She forced me to write with my right hand and I could never get it right. My Dad found out about the whole crap and he was flipped off at her.

Thanks god my Daddy protected me...

Now, please excuse me while I collect my manhood again...

I know this sounds weird, but I really dislike how spiral books are curtailed for righties. Everytime I write, I have to angle the notebook almost vertically so I dont get spiral identations on my hand. Ugh so glad someone said something about being a lefty.

Roundabout that time, probably 4th grade for me, I got in trouble in school for fogetting homework, the teacher had me handwrite letters A through D (that's a lot of words!) of the dictionary, and to add insult to injury, all with my right hand..that was horrible.

being an arab myself, and having some knowledge of arabic. it is written left to right. however, you will notice that most people will slant the pages quite a lot just so they can see what they are writing, almost to the extent of a 90 degree turn, so much so that you might some people who seem to be writing vertically from top down.

my 2 cents worth...

Should have had the govt use P90s. Those eject casings downward. :D

I am left handed.

I can do everything a right handed person can do, and sometimes I do it better. ;)

I'm a lefty but I don't feel discriminated against or handicapped. Mostly it isn't something I even think about. I just get on with it.

The few things that do bother me:[list][*] Scissors[*] Papermate erasable pens... when I was a kids these were all the rage. My hand would be blue from the ink smudge.[*] Binders and ringed notebooks... fucking rings are always in the way.[*] Neat handwriting. I hated cursive writing and eventually switched back to a cross between printing and cursive that worked well for me...

I do benefit when I am doing Kendo. The power hand is the left hand, the right hand is used for directionality (i.e. where you will hit). Most right-handed people starting out in Kendo have a hard time not using their right hand to power their strikes. It was easy for me...

Yeah my handwriting was always messy and smudged when I wrote in cursive. I quit writing in cursive back in grade school and now I only print. Cursive is kinda pointless anyways, whenever you have to write something or fill out a form, it's always supposed to be printed.

They do make left handed scissors now though. I hate spiral binders and notebooks also, but these are all minor annoyances to me. I really don't care any more.

Like I said, I rarely think about it anymore... I've grown accustomed to using right-handed scissors (but when I get left handed ones I realize what I've been missing... no hand cramps). As for binders... I don't really right in them all that much anymore...

Most of my work is done on a computer now. Oddly I prefer to use the right handed mouse.

You lefties should be discriminated against, you're all evil. Where do you think the word "sinister" comes from?

The best sword fight ever filmed: "The Princess Bride", really exploited the left-handed/right-handed thing well.

God only made so many perfect people, the rest he made right-handed.

Carn -

I am painfully left-handed. Up until 5 years ago, my right hand was useful in typing, holding trays, and balance. Since then, I have taught myself to do virtually everything with my right hand, as well. The first thing I learned was to pistol shoot with my right hand. I am right-eye dominant, so it has improved my accuracy tremendously. I don't shoot rifles much, so I still have a tendency to pick up a rifle left-handed. Someone made mention that the government should issue "left-handed" rifles to the perfect people. This is a bad idea. If you are in a fire fight and your weapon jams, it would be a shame that you were the only perfect person in your platoon! :lol:

Did you know that the average life span of a perfect person is less than that of a right-handed person!? Don't ask me why!

it's because it's so stressful trying to use right handed scissors :)

It's because a lot of the perfect ones were murdered or kidnapped secretly so that we cannot breed massively and start a lefty revolution...

But is it really true? Like, fine, they found the stats, but what's the reasaon/hypothesis/explaintion then?
:confused:

EDIT:
Uh? I'll definately check it out. :thumbsup:

I'm ambi, but only because of piano. I did have several severe right arm injuries resulting in a cast and limited mobility. I feel like I might have walked a mile in your shoes. I really, really wish that the "Leftorium" that Ned Flanders runs on the Simpsons was real. I'd be in there all the time. Left handed nun chucks..hahaha.

Anyone ever traveled to a traditional middle-Eastern country?

Eat with the right, wipe with the left. I wonder, what is the view of a left-handed person? Are they forced to switch when young because of this cultural habit? Wait a minute, I have some middle-eastern friends! I will ask and get back to you....

I can't tell you how many times my hubby has told me to do this...silly Marines....

Anyway, I'm right handed, but my brother's best friend growing up was a lefty, and I remember watching in fascination as he wrote. He would stick his elbow out and curve his hand downward so that the side of his hand wouldnt smudge his ink as he went. He refused to use pencil because of the inevitable smudge-factor.

Being left-handed and the only one in my family posed a few problems:
Tying shoes. No one could teach me properly and I couldn't teach my own kids-their father had to.
Scissors: Cutting my own bangs while looking in the mirror holding scissors backwards would make an amusing film short.
Art: I have to consciously start painting on the right or I'll ruin my work-that's happened more than once. Not to mention the ruined shirt sleeves.
One thing I am used to is drawing with the mouse with my right hand. I can't do it with my left.
I remember a gym class in 8th grade-for playing basketball the teacher thought lefties against righties...only problem was, there were only 5 of us...about 20 of them...

Being a lefty & damn proud of it BTW, I used to mouse with my left hand until I got carple tunnel from too many hours "drawing" maps & designing graphics. So I had to learn to use my right hand to mouse & it's great because I can write with my left hand while I mouse. Yes I am the Queen of Multi-Tasking. :) Over the years I've become very ambi...(hey now, don't get cocky) ...though I golf like a righty. Didn't want to ever have to use rented clubs & say "Do you have any ladies, extra-short clubs for lefties."
I mean, c'mon, talk about being a minority.

I do believe lefties are extra artistically talented. All my graphic jobs had several other left-handed geniuses on board.

We rock!

At least they say we do.
Oh wait- I'm a theatre major in uni...
:rolleyes:

I have taught myself mouse with my left last summer. I was just too bored and thought 'why not?'

As for the website posted above by FngKestrel- oh my... the KEYBOARD? It's wicked but I wouldnt want to spend years learning how to type as fast as I am again... I would like to get one just to annoy my gf or people who want to use my computer though... :lol:

Look at this- it made me chuckle:

Left-Handers Lament by Ian Radburn

Now here's the story of my life,
I've had fun but lots of strife,
For I was born left-handed, but I'm proud
To be one of the elite, right-handers we can beat
We're the 10% that stand out from the crowd!

But as a little lad, oh the problems that I had
Winding clockwork toys was just a mystery
Tying laces was a pain, couldn't get it in my brain
Everything was back-to-front it seemed to me

Chorus
We're the Cack-Handed Kings, we're the LEFTIES
You right-handers just haven't got a clue
'Cos if you'd been through what we've been through
Then maybe you would feel superior too!

At 5 I started school where I was treated like a fool
Being left-handed I stood out from the pack
And learning how to write was not a struggle - more a fight
For I had my left hand tied behind my back

"Now get it in your head" the sympathetic teacher said
"You use the right and not the Devil's side"
Those supposed men of vision caused me pain and such derision
Is it any wonder often times I cried?

We're the Gibble Fisted Friends, we're the LEFTIES (repeat chorus)

Time then came when my voice dropped
And my face was one big spot
But I was glad to see my teenage years arrive,
Because I use my left, I was different from the rest
And the girls saw me as something of a prize!

I learned some handy tricks in the back row of the flicks
It used to drive my girlfriends all berserk
For their eyes would keep apace of my right hand - just in case
And they never saw my left one go to work!

We're the Southpawed Princes, we're the LEFTIES (repeat chorus)

Well I'm married now, worst luck
But my wife has given up
Asking me to help with chores like peeling spuds,
Or trying to cut the bread, I'll get a 4 x 2" wedge
Lose three fingertips and half a pint of blood

I would love to be a dad, but we've hit a little snag
If you can help please tell us what to do
The problem simply said, is that I'm a left-hand thread
But my wife you see, now she's a right-hand .....OH, YES WE'RE THE

Scrummy-Handed Heroes, we're the LEFTIES (repeat chorus)

Now we reach today, where you stand and watch me play
And yes, I play right-handed it is true
For the very simple fact is that I've had to adapt
Something all we southpaws have to try and do

We have trouble tying ties, writing cheques out, using knives
and scissors made for use in your right hand
And when it comes to sport once again we are left short
In hockey and in polo we are banned

We're the Cuddy Wifter Winners, we're the LEFTIES (repeat chorus)

Now I've finished off my song and as you move along
Please bear in mind the things I've had to say
And please show some respect for your friends who use the left
Thanks for listening to me this Left-Handers Day.

(Copyright: Ian Radburn, 2004)

And here's the link to get the song:
http://www.lefthandersday.com/lefty_lament.html
(below the lyrics)

Speaking as one who writes left-handed [but does just about everything else right-handed] -- I'm glad in the area that it counts I'm in my right mind.

YES! somebody knows how I feel...ringed notebooks..UGH...I have pretty ucky penmanship, and everytime someone saw it, they'd go 'future doctor huh' and I laughed it off but thought in my head, 'no...just left handed I guess'..I haven't found any great niche for this lefthandedness, but I guess I function pretty well with my right...there are quite a few things that I do better with my right than I do with my left..I think that was left to adaptation though, gotta survive right?

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.

Sitting on the left end of the table never occurred to anyone? That's been my seat all my life....no one's allowed there but me :D

My handwriting is very neat...spouse says it's the neatest handwriting he's ever seen, but can't read it. More than once I've been asked, when my printing was seen, if I was an elementary school teacher.

Left end of table? :confused:

AH! I get what you mean now- but what if it happens to be a round table :-\

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.

I know that seat all too well. Whenever we go out to eat as a family my mother arranges it so I'm not jabbing anyone with my elbow.

My parents would always complain when I was a kid and set the table because every time I set it backwards. It was perfect for me, but didn't work for anyone else in my righty family.

I love being left-handed. Some solutions I use for the writing problems (I just finished several years of taking copious amounts of notes): 1) a notebook with tear-out pages. In these, the spiral seems to be set further away from the writing area, giving you more room to maneuver. 2) Use a pencil instead of a pen if possible. 3) If you must use a pen, do use an old-fashioned ballpoint that isn't too inky and sets quickly.

Invariably I still end up with smudged hand, but rarely are my notes smudged. :)

Oh this thread is such a wonderful place of relief. A place of freedom from oppressive "rightists". A balm for the weary southpaw. I am glad to share something so wonderful with you all. I too have suffered the same indignities you have... the awkward handling of the scissors, the 'left handed seat' at the restaurant... It's nice to know you're not alone...

What about this one... (not sure if it's been mentioned) Does anyone else, when they're playing cards hold their cards upside down? I sure do...

Yes, but "sinister" sounds so much cooler than "dexter".

Regarding the spiral notebook, just write on the left side of the book and if you have to used the right side, just set the margin further to the right.

my signature... i just write 'derek' in my own handwriting, but mirror-reflected. (yes, i can read and write mirror-reflected very well)- and no one has had a successful attempt yet to forge it.

calculators... uh, for a theatre major like me i rarely need them anymore- but in high school I used to 'calculator' with my right- so I could write at the same time ;)

Ah those huge-ass long cooking chopsticks. It's still a mystery for me. I never understand how my mom & dad (yes he's a good cook too) can pick up deep fried food with them without any troubles (I AM a bad cook).

About bumping elbows- I learnt to eat with kinda, keeping my elbow closer to my body while I also sit a bit further. Or when I go to eat or to the pub with friends back home, I always remind them that I'm left handed and asks for the left-most seat. (It's annoying when someone slams your elbow when you have a glass of beer close to your face... especially when everyone's tipsy)..

Ha- my first thread that reaches 2 pages, I think.

Welcome to the lefty hangout place :P

Holding cards upside down? Don't they look the same either way?
(I mean, you can't even tell when you can only see the back side of the cards..)
It'd be interesting if you can explain more though- I wanna know if I do that too ;)

Maybe he means top card on the right side? I've done that....
Another beef-school desks. Those kind with the top attached, they're always on the right! I think in High School there were a couple with the tops on the left, but the tech school I just completed didn't have any of those. At least there I used composition notebooks-no rings in the way.

My uncle is left handed. All the spiral notebooks he's written in over the years, all his writing is on the left side of the book. Dozens and dozens of spiral notebooks that just don't quite look....right. :)

Yes, I'm a lefty. I'm the only one in my family.
Here's an interesting observation: I work for a well-known publisher. Lots of creative types on all sides. And an unusually large portion of us are lefties. I've never seen anything like it.

I don't feel discriminated against. Never. It's something to deal with, to overcome. And it can be fun. I like being a lefty. It's cool. Besides, us lefties are more evolved than right-handers--everyone knows all apes are right-handed...

I think left handed people are pretty cool.
Like if you hold a left-handed girls arm she can still do shit without having to let go of your hand.
Infact if you treat yourselves as one person you can become abidextorous - like a superhuman or something.
Both got the good arm going while still holdling hands.
No one gona mess with us.
We aint go no jab.
Know what I mean, lefties rock.
Look at Hendrix.
Yahh. :cool:

Ah? top card on the right side? Nah, I think I have the top card on the left side, it's easier for my thumb I think.

/haven't been playing cards for quite long honestly...

Oh my girlfriend's a righty but we hold hands with our 'good' arm (sounds like the other one's missing or something :hmm: )- it just feels weird to hold something so important with my less important hand, so I always prefer holding hers with my left. Guess she thinks similar... so when we treat ourselves as one person... hm, we are... majorly handicapped? :lol:

That's sweet.
See lefties even think different.
All sweet and stuff.
Got the romance going,
Just look at Isaac Hayes.
I am thinking her hand is NICE.
It's important, no doubt about it.
But there are other parts that are NICE-ER.
You know what I mean.
So like, the if an oportunity ever came to go for the nice-er parts.
I don't wana be fumblin' it up with my left hand.
Poke her eye out or some jazz like that.
Won't live that down. :|

Yeah I do think we think a little bit different but that can cause troubles-
arguments have started just because I can never, ever understand her way of thinking. Like no matter what, I can't make it make sense in my head... Or well, maybe just because I am rather childish, and I have an attention span of a fruit fly and memory of a goldfish... Is it a left-handed thing too? I mean the fruit fly and goldfish syndrome...

EDIT: O/T Mantus did you draw your avatar? I really like it.

Oh man that's just her being a chick.
See the thing about women.
It's not that you don't know what they're thinking.
It's that they don't know what they're thinking.
It's the most complex puzzle on earth because the picture on the box.
Don't match the picture inside.
But when you figure it out.
It's like heaven.
Then you get bored and wan't to do another puzzle. :cool:

About the fruit-fly goldfish thing.
Step one:
Check the mirror
You might actually be a fruit-fly in a fishbowl.
If not, you are perfectly normal,
Just gota use some synonyms.
Like instead of child go for something like,
CAVEMAN! - big and strong
Fruit fly is a bit small, perhaps describe yourself as a tiger or something
And substitute goldfish for a baracuda.
Then all of the sudden you are cool.
A bad ass tiger barracuda with a club!


And yes I did indeed draw that, glad you like it, thanks!

'we're just two lost souls
swimming in a fish bowl
year after a year...'

That song popped up in my head when I read your post...

/senses that he's killing his own thread.

So does anyone know when's the int'l lefties day?
c'mon, have a guess (without using google :))

That might be my biggest fear in writing on the left side of the book...it'd look too weird, even if I read my own notes I'd be a little creeped out. Hence I've had to resort to angling the notebook an odd way..Or I can just write further into the margin, not sure who suggested that but someone did, maybe Charlatan..

In University, when I did the vast majority of my notetaking, I found a local source for small hardcover note books (I think I paid a buck or two per notebook). They weren't spiral bound so no problem with my hand and they looked good on my book shelf.

I've kept up the habit and still use them for keeping notes and to do lists.


http://www.shoplet.com/office/limages/EB021766.gif

Wow that's a very romantic way of doing things.

Handicapped, not at all...the world would be a sweeter place if people knew and treated the things that were vital to them as such....

Romantic :-\

I mean, we both agreed that it just feels weird if I use my right and she her left... I haven't really told her That^ is the reason though (I REALLY think so- like.. the important thing in my 'better' hand thing).

Oh, since no one guessed the int'l lefties day-

13th August. It was first celebrated in 1976. Google it if you wanna read more about it.

NOTE: they don't have a int'l righties day. HA. HA losers. :P

Woohoo I love this thread!

I have never felt discriminated for being left handed and it never bothers me much except the smudging what I'm writing/drawing part. I'm happy to see there are many left-handed people on the TFP! I wonder what the ratio is worldwide...

I am an artist and there are many great artists that were left-handed - that is one of my first thoughts when I'm reminded I'm left-handed :D

Last I heard it was around 10%.

I think it might have something to do with the right side of the brain having direct access to the instrument.

I looked you up in the art forum - I am delighted, very nice work! Especially the black/white/red abstract one.

My wife and I are both Lefties...
So I guess we are of the same mind :lol:
scissors used to be a problem....untill I learned to use them upside down.
I always print...except my signiture
otherwise I can't even read my writing.
I do play guitar right handed
Other guitarists say it gives me a unique perspective
Although it takes me longer to learn new rhythms.
Power tools have the safety button on the wrong side!!!!
The left handed mouse is just confusing
Being left handed in the workplace can be a benifit
the jobs righties think are akward are completely comfortable to me.

The thing that bothers me most about being left-handed now is having to fly the aircraft with my right hand while I write something on my kneeboard.

It's cool that both of you are Lefties! (It's also interesting that you capitalized 'Lefties' :lol:) I have always wondered, is left handedness a genetic thing? Like, is it some kind of recessive genes? Because I've heard left handed parents having right handed kids (which is weird if it's genetic), or vice versa (which makes a bit more sense if both of the parents are something like Rr and Rr- then they can have 'rr' kids... hope someone get what I mean here-)

Uh? How do you use scissors upside down? I mean... aren't they just the same even if you hold them upside down?

:lol: But then don't righties have to fly with their left while they write something on their kneeboards? (I don't know much about flying an aircraft, correct me if I sound stupid...)

:lol: I never realized I capitalized Lefty
My grandfathers paternal and maternal are Lefties
A couple of uncles too.
My wife's dad too, don't know the rest.
It does seem to have genetic trends.

the slant goes the other way upsidedown
thumb goes into the big hole
index finger in the small hole

edit: That sounds kinda' dirty :D Scissors!

Great quote!

"Leftists are among the first to speak of their rights." ~ Anonymous

Oh. Wait. This is about lefties not leftists...

Sorry.

But still a pretty good quote?

And yes, I be a lefty...

I think I might be bothered if I knew you were flying the plane... ;)

Hahaha well the only people in the plane are my instructor and I.

Pilots learning to fly always sit in the left seat of the aircraft, so regardless of their dominant hand, everyone flies with their left hand. The right hand is used to change radio freqs, manipulate the throttle, push annoying passengers out of the door at 15,000 ft, etc. So righties have to fly with their left hand too.

Flying in the right seat means that you will always control the yoke with your right hand, and do the various other things with your right. My roommate who is right handed says it's awkward for him to fly in the right seat since he is used to controlling the aircraft with his left hand. It's kinda like using a mouse on a computer I guess; you learnit on one hand, and it feels too awkward using your other hand, even if it's dominant..

Is this the meeting place for Left-Handed Anonymous?

I'm a lefty and I'm damned proud of it.

You're wondering why chalkboards haven't affected the evolution of written language? :crazy:

august 13th right?

Oh. Sure. Right.

So YOU say.

Where's that Amtrack schedule...?

A lot of rifles are being made to accomidate your sad, sad people. :D

At least we know how to spell "accommodate" and proper usage, "you sad" rather than "your sad." ;)

Being in our right minds helps with that! :lol:

I'll give you accommodate, but I used excellent grammar in "your sad." They are your people, the ones to whom you belong, and who belong to you. :P

Ah, but if they are not YOUR people, then wouldn't it be better grammar to say, "A lot of rifles are being made to accomidate you sad, sad people."

Unless of course you're left-handed too? And then boy your sentence is screwed...

But nice try!

Suave is not a leftie, you are: therefore lefties are your people. Right mind, indeed. :o

All righty, then.

Let me attempt an honest comparison.

A lot of rifles are being made to accomidate you sad, sad people.

A lot of rifles are being made to accomidate your sad, sad people.

Ah, well, now I see I do own the non-leftie an apology. Apparently you weren't trying to do us a double-dirty comment. How nice. :thumbsup:

I'll have to try that. If it works for me it'll solve one problem just leaving me with every single of one the little foldout desks in the lecture halls being set up for right handers. I've been so tempted to bring a screwdriver to the first day of lecture and fix a chair properly.

I'm dominately left hand, every girl in my family is that way. I basically do everything with my left hand except when using scissors and when I paint.

The halls we had in our school had a few left handed desks but mostly I just used the writing surface on the chair to my left (just put your coat on that chair so no one sits there.

I'm lefty and proud... have you ever noticed that (at least for European languages,) the reading order is left-to-right, and so is writing. So... have you ever noticed that when you write with your left hand, you get smudges on your paper, as well as that black(or whatever color) smudge on the pinky-side of your hand??? I'm going to start writing right-to-left, just out of spite. another thing... people always shake hands and salute with their right hand? well, I'm done (for now) on this topic...

They largely shake with the right hand because that is the sword/gun hand and the idea is to show that you are not holding a weapon...

Pity the fool who shakes hand with a lefty!

Uh.. Yeah, I'm pretty sure all left handed people realized that stuff.

I'll give that a go and ignore the twinge of my conscience for taking up two seats.

I was the only lefty in an all righty family, and I definitely remember the trouble trying to learn sports ("do what I do, but totally differently"), shoe tying, you name it. My mom got me special scissors, but I never really used them because by then I was cutting things in my right hand.

I've actually been wondering about how most lefties tend to end up with some degree of ambidextry. Does anyone know of any studies done? Maybe I'm just imagining things.

I think it's because we are sort of forced to adapt to the world of righties, thus using our right hands, legs etc. more.

I wonder if lefties have their left testicles/ovaries function better... any researchss or rumours?

And that's when everything got a little weird....

that would be interesting to know, but I haven't heard of any research on the matter.

Or I can expand my question to all the organs which have one of left and the other on right...

Hey isn't the left side of the heart stronger than the right? At least the aorta (sp?) is attached to the left ventricle-

See? There is a little lefty inside everyone...

p.s. Sorry, I am making no sense at all- I am going through one of the really worst days of my life.

Left side of the heart has thicker walls than the right side.

What's wrong?

It's cool. Nothing wrong. :thumbsup:

I'm a lefty and so proud of it:)
Makes me feel special and unique.

Actually I don't know if this deserves a bump- anyway.

Do you guys think those companies who make 'left handed' products are trying to rip lefties off?

I mean, left handers' scissors are fine- they are actually of some use.
But have you seen those watches and clocks (or even calendars) that goes the other way? I mean, I have no problems reading them at all and I find them interesting and fun- but I find it weird (and kind of stupid) that those 'left handers'' shops are labelling those as 'left hander stuff'-