Sinister Average Jane

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Yes, that’s right, I’m left-handed. Supposedly that makes me clumsy, accident-prone and right-brained. Considering that I have a big bruise on my foot from dropping an insulated coffee mug earlier this week, the clumsy and accident-prone part sounds right, although I can’t positively attribute it to my being left-handed. The right-brain stuff sounds correct though, as writing is my preferred occupation (despite my being shoehorned into a left-brained project management job right now).

The world isn’t particularly accommodating for lefties, but I’ve adapted some ambidextrous habits that serve me pretty well. For example, in elementary school I started out competing for the few pairs of left-handed scissors available before giving up and just learning to use right-handed scissors instead. That alone has probably saved me an enormous amount of inconvenience in my lifetime.

I embroider left-handed but crochet right-handed, because my great-aunt taught me crocheting and we both found it too complicated when she tried to teach me "backwards."

There’s only one specialized kitchen tool for lefties that I’d like to have: a left-handed measuring cup. I always end up with the metric side facing me and it would be nice to be able to see the English measurements without awkwardly holding the measuring cup in my right hand.

I put my computer mouse on the left (which doesn’t always reach very well, let me tell you!), but I use the buttons in the usual right-hand configuration. Several jobs ago, an IT person helpfully programmed my mouse buttons in reverse but I couldn’t get used to it and I made her change them back.

I’m curious about how many of my fellow bloggers and blog readers are left-handed. Left-handers are a distinct minority among the population at large, but the whole right-brained thing could tip the balance a little more toward lefties among bloggers. Which are you?

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9 responses to “Sinister Average Jane”

April 21, 2005

Stacie

I’m right-handed, but am told that I was left-handed until I was three or so. I still prefer to do somethings left-handed, and do them better that way.
It’s really weird, but some times I feel like I’m using the wrong hand. Especially when playing catch. But I can’t get past the whole “I’ve always used my right hand” thing either.
I’m pretty uncoordinated when it comes to sports.

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April 21, 2005

Daisy

Another leftie here. Very leftie. Can’t do much at all with my right hand despite my grandmother’s best efforts (she was of the old school that believed leftiness was at best a disability, a mark of the devil in some).
Along with measuring jugs I’d add fancy decorated mugs – I have a lovely big mug painted with daisies and a single daisy on the inside but of course it’s on the “wrong” side – when I pick the mug up the daisy is invisble.
My father bought me an expensive left handed fountain pen many years ago but I found it impossible to use and ended up going back to mangling the nibs of normal fountain pens.

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April 21, 2005

claire

I’m a leftie too – I also learnt to use right handed scissors (I found stiff scissors easier) and I knit, use a mouse and a knife and fork right-handed. I have horrible trouble with right-handed “butterfly” type can openers though.
I think at least part of the reason we’re more accident prone is due to customisation of our environment for right handed people making things difficult?

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April 21, 2005

bitterkat

Woo-hoo! Another lefty here. I am very much a lefty but I’m learning to play guitar right-handed. It’s not going so well.
I just splurged on my first pair of left-handed scissors at work and I wish I’d switched a long time ago. I do keep my mouse on the right side, however because I like my coffee on the left.
One interesting thing I learned while living in Taiwan is you RARELY see a lefty there (or in China). That may be changing but the old thought was that a lefty would not be able to write characters properly so they were forced to swtich. As for myself, my characters were always pretty ugly so maybe there’s some reason in that theory.

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April 21, 2005

Cagey

I am right-handed but I do many things left-handed. I never notice I am doing things wrong until someone points it out (like cutting steak incorrectly or punching with my fist left-handed). My mother is left-handed, so I wonder if some of the left-handedness didn’t express itself anyway.
Hey, if you ever let me teach you how to knit, it doesn’t matter if you are a lefty or a righty – you still knit the same way, either way. 🙂

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April 21, 2005

CRIS

I am ambidextrous. was supposed to be a leftie but the world had different ideas. as it is i function as a right hander but have leftie tendencies. I have a son who is a leftie and a grandaughter who is too.
I knit backwards, crochet backwards, and can write with either hand. I have learned to function in the righthanded world.

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April 22, 2005

Keith

Hi Jane,
You’ll be pleased to know that I to am a lefty, but right handed with scissors.
Dr. Fehilly (McBark) amazes me, as he is right handed, but uses a PC mouse left handed, something I am incapable of. Then again he is Scottish which puts him in a class of his own.

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April 22, 2005

Deana

I’m also a Lefty!! But, I do a lot of things right-handed…..the key in the lock to the door at home – have to do it right-handed….crocheting, batting, cutting – all right handed….guess it’s because I was always taught by right-handers??
To this day, I can’t and odn’t know how to do a cartwheel?! my mom used to always try to teach me when I was little, but couldn’t teach me left handed and I had no trust in my right side to hold myself up – geuss it’s a good thing I never wanted to be a cheerleader! 🙂

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April 24, 2005

bonnie

I am right handed and all four of our sons are right handed. Two married left handed women. Each of these women has two children, all right handed. Another son and daughter in law, both right handed, have a son and daughter (my grandchildren) who are left handed. The boy is so left handed that you could tell by the way he stood and sang in a Christmas when he was less than three years old!! Oh Well.

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