Is being left handed really a subject for healthtopics.ca?  It’s been reported that left handed folks have shorter life spans than the folks who have no problem living in their right handed world.  An article titled “Do Right Handed People Live Longer” will hopefully clear up this misinformation.

My Mother said she was forced to become right handed in school when a teacher pinched her ear every time she used her left hand.

I was born left handed.  Did I get the frustrated left handed gene? 

I recently read a comment that left handed folks are the most discriminated people on the planet! We’ll I don’t know that I would go that far but yes, left handed life dishes out some huge challenges. 

It started for me before school.  My Mother got a left handed boy in the neighborhood to teach me how to tie my shoes.   I couldn’t grasp the right handed way of getting laced up.  Then there was cutting food on my plate with the knife and fork.  Couldn’t muster that without some help from another left handed kindred spirit. 

Once I started school I couldn’t translate certain things on the blackboard to the paper in front of me on my desk.  My check marks, p’s, b’s and d’s were all backward when I wrote them on the page.  I don’t remember any teachers speaking to me about it or correcting me.

I have always believed that I was just gimpy when it comes to slicing cheese or bread.  Never, ever, ever have I been able to slice any cheese or bread evenly.  Drives my husband crazy.  I felt absolutely vindicated when I discovered that knives are serrated for right handed people.  With a knife serrated for a left handed person – guess what – no problem.  Everything is evenly sliced.  That was a huge ahh ha moment for me but it didn’t happen until I was in my 40’s! 

I tried using a left handed can opener. I couldn’t do it.  Having grown up in a right handed world there are just some things that are ingrained.  I did eventually buy an electric can opener as I didn’t have the strength in my right hand to use the can opener properly.

I would so like to see right handed people brought up in a left handed world.  Can you imagine?  All your kitchen instruments having spouts and handles on the opposite side to make for easier pouring and gripping for the left handed person.  Your note book designed for a left handed person so there would be no struggle with writing – either with the binding rings in the middle of the book or getting ink on your hand.

There is one fun advantage in my home to being left handed.  I always know when someone has been using my computer.   It bugs my family as they can’t figure out how I know they’ve been in my office.  What they haven’t figured out is that everytime they use my computer they turn the mouse in the opposite direction to accommodate their right hand.  Viola..I know they have been using my computer!

Please share your left handed stories with me.

Tags: Left Handed