Being A Southpaw (a.k.a. Left-handed)

Haha, I've only just found this thread. I'm a lefty :) Nobody else in my family is though, which is very strange!

For the list:

1. Writing - left
2. Drawing - left (but badly ;) )
3. Throwing- left
4. Scissors - left
5. Toothbrush - left
6. Knife (without fork)- right, very strange, I guess it's just because I'm used to having the knife right when with a fork.
7. Spoon - left
8. Broom (upper hand)-left (I think)
9. Striking match (match)- left
10. Opening box/lid - left
 
First off, welcome to the thread, Della, EmilyRocks and bubbles. I'm glad you were able to make your way in here. :D

EmilyRocks said:
I'm a lefty and so is my uncle.
I did gymnastics skills starting with my left foot and hand (like stepping into a skill or starting my run on vault)
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I can relate!! I used to do gymnastics and when I did a round-off, my orientation was always towards the left. :lol: A lefty friend of mine did ballet for years and when she did a pirouette (or any skill for that matter), her orientation was towards the left as well, while the rest of her class did theirs towards the right. :p
 
I just found this article about McCain and Obama both being left-handed. Wow, both presidential candidates are southpaws.


Left-handed presidential nominees catch interest
Camille Vandendriessche
Issue date: 10/17/08 Section: Opinion

While watching the final presidential debate Wednesday night, something struck me. No, it was not only John McCain's dirty, insisting attacks on Barack Obama's actual or supposed ties with Bill Ayers and ACORN; neither was it McCain's exasperating attempts to maintain a fake, forced smile on his face.

What hit me then - and I can't explain why I did not notice before - was the fact both candidates are left-handed.

Left-handed people don't get enough attention, and I am not saying that just because I am a lefty - well, maybe so. Think about a tool most of us use everyday: a computer mouse. The setting of standard desk computers imposes everyone to use the mouse with the right hand. Isn't this a flagrant disadvantage against lefties? Actually, when using a mouse with the "wrong" hand, left-handed people have the "good" other hand free to do tasks that require accuracy like taking notes.

Still, most tools in this world are made for righties.

Studies about handedness acknowledge seven to 15 percent of the world population is left-handed. Lefties use the right hemisphere of their brain more, whereas righties use the left hemisphere more. Because of each hemisphere's properties, lefties are believed generally have naturally superior spatial visualization, coordination and artistic skills, while righties have better rational, logical and analytic skills. Lefties are represented more than righties in various fields such as arts, mathematics and sports that involve handeye coordination like tennis, boxing and fencing.

Having two left-handed presidential nominees might not be a coincidence; indeed four of the last six presidents of the United States are or were lefties, and the coming election will establish Obama or McCain as the sixth left-handed American president out of 12 since the end of World War II.

While Harry Truman, Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton were undoubtedly left-handed, Ronald Reagan's handedness has been questioned. He did write with his right hand, but several publications assumed he was forced to switch from left to right in his childhood. The same sources claimed Reagan seemed to execute certain actions more comfortably with the left hand, like in the movie The Killers, where he slapped Angie Dickinson with his left hand.

The McCain-Obama presidential debate was not a première in its genre; the 1992 debate already opposed lefties only in the persons of Rep. George H. W. Bush, Dem. candidate Bill Clinton and Independent candidate Ross Perot.

Unfortunately, lefties cannot always be in the winners' camp, even when opposed to righties; Al Gore, John Edwards and Robert 'Bob' Dole are among the most recent unlucky candidates to the presidency. And on Nov. 4, one more name will appear on this list.


The original source can be found here.
 
I can cut using right handed scissors in my left hand and I find it very easy to do so. Years of practice in school where no left handed scissors appeared till I got to secondary school.
For the list

1. Writing - left
2. Drawing - left
3. Throwing- left
4. Scissors - left
5. Toothbrush - left
6. Knife (without fork)- left
7. Spoon - left
8. Broom (upper hand)- left mostly but think I switch a bit if I get cramp
9. Striking match (match)- left
10. Opening box/lid - left
 
Fellow lefty, here. I do just about everything left handed, save for useing the mouse on the computer and playing guitar. Surprisingly, unlike most lefties, I wear my watch on my left wrist.

It's interesting, I've found several ways to adapt, especially with scissors. They'll actually work right if you turn them around. So, for the actual list:

1. Writing - left (handwriting is horrible, though)
2. Drawing - left (can't draw a straight line even with a ruler.
3. Throwing- left
4. Scissors - left( I just turn them around)
5. Toothbrush - left
6. Knife (without fork)- left (even with fork, I use my left hand. Makes it interesting to have to switch hands. )
7. Spoon - left
8. Broom (upper hand)- Not sure....
9. Striking match (match)- left
10. Opening box/lid - left

I've heard tons of stories from older people who are naturally left handed about being smacked with a ruler every time they tried to do something left-handed, having their left hands tied behind their backs, etc. It boggles the mind, especially because now that's considered child abuse. Just goes to show how far we've come....
 
Shytownzombie said:
Fellow lefty, here. I do just about everything left handed, save for useing the mouse on the computer and playing guitar. Surprisingly, unlike most lefties, I wear my watch on my left wrist.
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Welcome to the lefty thread!! Haha, we're very similar...I also use my right hand for moving the mouse as well as play guitar right-handed. Funny, I also wear my watch on my left wrist.

I've heard tons of stories from older people who are naturally left handed about being smacked with a ruler every time they tried to do something left-handed, having their left hands tied behind their backs, etc. It boggles the mind, especially because now that's considered child abuse. Just goes to show how far we've come....
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My Aunt and Uncle went through that. That's why both of their handwriting are chicken scratch. Most everything else they do left-handed.
 
i also wear my watch on my left hand, and use a mouse with my right. My left just won't work a mouse properly!

Strange..
 
Haha, I remember the first time I ever used a mouse...It was really weird using it with my right hand. It took me quite some time getting the hang of it but now it's like automatic. For the life of me, I can't operate a mouse with my left hand. I tried it but then it felt really weird. :lol: Just goes to show how oppressed we lefties really are in this right-handed world, having to adapt to things made for righties. :lol:
 
mandy9578 said:
Haha, I remember the first time I ever used a mouse...It was really weird using it with my right hand. It took me quite some time getting the hang of it but now it's like automatic. For the life of me, I can't operate a mouse with my left hand. I tried it but then it felt really weird. :lol: Just goes to show how oppressed we lefties really are in this right-handed world, having to adapt to things made for righties. :lol:
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:lol: I always use my left hand to use a mouse. My brothers and sisters always complain after I've used the computer and they find the mouse of the left-hand side :lol: I just can't get use to using my right-hand for that :lol:
 
This thread has really made me chuckle - I've felt sooooo alone all these years!! And trying to explain problems to right-handed people who have never noticed.......

I'm a natural lefty but was "strongly encouraged" to convert to right-handedness when I started school. I then reverted back when I broke my right arm. I'm now completely ambidexdrous with the majority of things, but there are some things I can only do with my left (brush my teeth, use chopsticks) and some I can only do with my right (write on a chalkboard, butter bread). Ah, and if I could actually play the guitar, it would be left-handed.

I wear my watch on my left wrist, and use a mouse with either hand - depends which is easiest (the same with writing).

I once worked for a boss that saw himself as a bit of a graphology expert, so I gave him two pieces of my handwriting - one as a leftie, one as a rightie. The analysis came back as two completely different personalities.
 
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