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

[WolfeWhistle]

Happilyhappy said:
HI. My name is Heather, and I'm a proud Southpaw.

Hi! Welcome to the club!

My handwriting isn't the best though. It can be, when I write slow and small, but who has time for that?

I am definitely in the same boat on that one (I have wondered a lot whether or not this is common in other lefties, so perhaps it is). My handwriting has always been sort of messy, but it's not as as bad as it was when I was younger. I used to get "U"s for Unsatisfactory on my elementary school report cards...luckily it's improved, but my parents still give me a hard time about it.

It also looks as though the creativity and analytical is common in lefties, too (think about it: Picasso, Da Vinci and tons of other interesting people were left-handed). Just goes to show how cool we are.

And may I ask why your grandpa saw left-handedness that way, Happilyhappy? I've heard of people having that view in other cultures, so I'm curous as to where exactly that came from in your case.

 

[HellsBells]

And may I ask why your grandpa saw left-handedness that way, Happilyhappy?

Well, I'm sure it's because of the era he grew up in. Left handed people aren't as common then as they are now, (and even now we aren't that common, hurray for not being normal!) and not much was known for why lefties where in fact born left handed. But otherwise, I haven't a clue, I never cared to ask why he was so against me and my mom being left handed. And I'm sure if we was still alive he'd try to make my nephew right handed too. I think my family (and I'm sure some of yours too) is proof that handiness does have some sort of genetic link.

More research has been done, of course, and they find that the reason lefties are so "artistic" and "analytical" is because we use our right side of our brain, which is commonly linked to photography and painting, drawing, etc.

And writing crappy is common for lefties, I've noticed. I think it might have something to do with how we were taught. Some lefties write with the paper facing the way it would face for a right handed person, so they bend their wrist to write on the line, some simply bend their wrist, etc etc. I was taught by a right handed person. My friend who is also left handed has GORGEOUS writing, and I think it was because she was taught by a lefty. It's a lot easier to teach a lefty when you are a lefty yourself. (or understand the lefties way)

The Article that mandy9578 provided for us explains it best. Most of those things I already knew, but some I didn't.

 

[mandy9578]

WolfeWhistle said:
By the way, mandy9578, I adore your avatar. I love the movie Miracle and I love Eddie Cahill, so it's the perfect combo!

Thanks! Same here! I love Miracle and Eddie Cahill! :lol: :lol:

Welcome to the thread Heather! Glad to see another lefty in here. Pretty interesting that your grandpa wanted you to write with your right hand. Being lefty runs in both sides of my family. My Mom's eldest sister is a lefty and she was forced to write right-handed but then their youngest sister (who is almost 20 years younger than the eldest) who is also a lefty wasn't forced to write right-handed. Previous generations thought being left-handed was sinister but then times have changed and I'm glad I wasn't forced to write right-handed. That would have been pretty traumatic.

 

[mandy9578]

*pokes thread* *of course, with my left hand* :lol:

Anyway, I just thought I'd bump this thread up by wishing my fellow lefties a belated Happy New Year! I hope everyone's year is off to a great start.

Oh and by the way, I was just wondering if anyone here has read A Left-Hand Turn Around The World: Chasing The Mystery And Meaning Of All Things Southpaw. It's by David Wolman. My Mom saw it at a bookstore and immediately bought it for me.

 

[shazza_018]

I'm left handed but my parents force me to eat with my right hand one day and now I eat with my right hand and do everything else with my right hand.


In my family me, my dad and my youngest brother are left-handed the others are right.

 

[mandy9578]

*pokes thread again* I'm just bumping up the thread!

Hey Shazza, so you're a lefty too. So if you do most things with your right hand does that include writing?

Anyway, I’m currently reading A Left-Hand Turn Around The World: Chasing The Mystery And Meaning Of All Things Southpaw by David Wolman and in it he mentioned the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. It’s a test to determine which hand a person prefers when doing particular tasks.

The instruction is you have to indicate your preference in the use of the hands for the following activities (Whether Left, Right or Either):


1. Writing
2. Drawing
3. Throwing
4. Scissors
5. Toothbrush
6. Knife (without fork)
7. Spoon
8. Broom (upper hand)
9. Striking match (match)
10. Opening box/lid

So whichever has more checks, means you favor that hand.

In the book, someone who is right-handed is defined as one who prefers the right hand for most tasks requiring a single hand, and the right hand dominates in tasks involving both hands, such as unscrewing the lid of the jar. Left-handers are generally the opposite.

Most of us lefties are considered mixed-handed, and not ambidextrous. Mixed-handed means preferring one hand for some everyday tasks and the other hand for others. To be considered as truly ambidextrous, there must be equal dexterity with either hand for all tasks under the EHI. That’s really rare.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share this with my fellow lefties.

 

[shazza_018]

mandy9578 said:
Hey Shazza, so you're a lefty too. So if you do most things with your right hand does that include writing?

^^No I write with my left hand.....and my handwriting is horrible so I can't imagine writing with my right hand....I wonder how bad my handwriting would be then.

I think I am getting use to using my right hand all the time.....but I still consider myself a lefty.

 

[mandy9578]

Once a lefty, always a lefty! :lol:

I think my handwriting is pretty decent, cursive or print. But if I was forced to write with my right hand, I'm sure my handwriting would definitely be chicken scratch! :lol: I tried writing with my right hand and it looks like a five-year old's handwriting. It's that bad! :lol:

 

[shazza_018]

mandy9578 said:
But if I was forced to write with my right hand, I'm sure my handwriting would definitely be chicken scratch! :lol: I tried writing with my right hand and it looks like a five-year old's handwriting. It's that bad! :lol:

My handwriting looks terrible all the time......People in my class get annoyed and ask can't you write a bit neater...... hello they're my notes for my work soo what's it to you........I can actually read my writing why do others caring if its bad. I usual try and print when it comes to writing in an exam but I only have one subject where I have to write alot for the exam.......

 

[mandy9578]

shazza_018 said:
My handwriting looks terrible all the time......People in my class get annoyed and ask can't you write a bit neater...... hello they're my notes for my work soo what's it to you........I can actually read my writing why do others caring if its bad. I usual try and print when it comes to writing in an exam but I only have one subject where I have to write alot for the exam.......

My class notes were always neat. They had to be because in my school (elementary and high school, that is) we had notebooks for every subject where we had to take down notes and our notes were part of our grade for that subject. My classmates would always borrow my notebooks, to copy my notes. :lol: Once, way back in seventh grade, someone stole my Math notebook. I was so pissed because I had to rewrite everything! Gah!

What I hate about writing left-handed is the ink smudges/stains I get on my hand. You're so lucky Shaz, because most of the exams I took throughout my academic life were essay type, hence, lots of writing! Thank goodness for rubber pen grips. :lol:

 

[shazza_018]

mandy9578 said:
What I hate about writing left-handed is the ink smudges/stains I get on my hand.

I hate when that happens lol I was colouring in today and the side of my hand looked like a rainbow but it took agess to get the colour out.........a mixture of felt tip and pencil crayons.......not good.......

 

[nessy]

That entire checklist for the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory I do with my left hand. Which does make sense as I even use right handed scissors in my left hand but can't use left handed scissors in my left hand. Maybe I should try them in my right hand lol.
When I work on the Internet Home Shopping doing all the grocery picks I favour putting items in the left hand side of the trolley though I can go either way if I wanted to. I only ever switch if there's customers in my way.

 

[mandy9578]

As for me, almost all my answers for the EHI checklist was for the left hand except for opening the lid of a jar. My right hand grip is actually stronger than my left. So I tend to open jars with my right hand. But still I'm a lefty as I favor using my left hand for most tasks. :lol:

 

[Elsie]

For me the only answer on the EHI list that I do with my right hand is the upper hand on a broom, and I'm sure I don't always do that right handed... Other than that I'm a complete lefty. I always love the wording of things like this, you see for me it's not about which hand I 'favour', because that suggests that my right hand is useful, when in reality it isn't. I really can't function at all well with my right hand. :lol: You should see me attempt to throw a ball with my right hand, it's hilarious.

I don't suffer with smudged writing or ink on my hand though, as my hand doesn't cover the words, I think that about half of lefties struggle with that and the other half write with their hand in a more upright position (at least, my cursory check of other lefthanded people leads me to that conclusion). :lol:

 

[mandy9578]

Funny, I, too, can't throw a ball with my right arm to save my life. I look awkward just doing it. :lol: As for kicking a football, I use my left foot most of the time. I can kick with my right foot but it's just not as strong as my left. And as a goalie, you have to kick almost as hard as you can. :lol: