Left, left, left
Random Rants of being left-handed in a right-handed world
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To those of you who doubt there is any difference between being left and right-handed, who deny discrimination against left-handers, let's start with loaded language.
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The world is designed for people who are right-handed.
Tools and gadgets |
Can openers: these are a continuing problem for me. I believe I did not experience a left-handed can opener until I had passed my window of opportunity to learning how to use a can opener. Seriously though, these really are problematic. And just like most things that come in left-handed options (at left-hander stores), the left-handed option is really expen$ive.
Scissors: First of all, kid safety scissors. I have to say that safety scissors are dangerous. They are so dull that it is even worse struggling to cut something with them. And the left-handed version, when you can even find one, are even worse. Give me a decent right handed scissors, and I can probably make it work. Not when I was a kid though. I failed at any paper-cutting activity. (May as well lump gardening shears, kitchen shears and any other tool with a scissor action--and most of them do not have a left-handed alternative) Pens and pencils: Wait, what? Yes, well, here in America, we write (and read) from left to right. If you are left handed, you are pulling your pen or pencil, dragging it behind you. This works just fine all the way down to fine point pens and super thin pencil lead. Left-handers on the other hand are pushing the pen or pencil (except those few who are taught to convolute their arm hand and fingers in an attempt to force their left hand to somehow be positioned in order to pull their pencil-try this right-handed, drawing from right to left. This means that left-handed people need to stick with medium point pens and pencils. And yes, there are actually are pens that have a bend in them which when held properly enable a left-hander to actually see what s/he is writing while writing it. And right-handers can use it too. I have one of these pens and really like it. Of course it's too late for it to help improve my penmanship as I did not get it until I was an adult. For those of you who are thinking that modern technology makes this obsolete, consider the latest studies that demonstrate that students retain information significantly better when they write notes long hand (pen and paper) than when they type them. Writing: There are other issues other than using medium pens. Like writing from left to right means not only that you can't really see what you are writing, but that you smudge it as go and have ink or graphite on the side of your hand. Also, no one is training elementary school teachers how to teach left-handed children to write. You need to angle your paper differently. And about technology, well, first of all the QWERTY system was not only designed for a right-dominant hand, it was designed to keep actual physical keys from sticking if you types too quickly and the keys hit each other. SO, really, that needs to be updated. Over the years, people have come up with other arrangements for the keyboard, but qwerty prevails. There's more though. Like ten keys--that's the part of some keyboards just with numbers. They are ALWAYS on the right side of the keyboard. And while it is possible to adjust your mouse for use with your left hand, try then sitting down at someone else's computer. It would be like learning to ride a bike with the brake handles reversed. Much easier and safer at first, but not if you ever use a different bike. So, add bicycles to the list. By the way, hand signals on a bike are supposed to be with the left hand. I realize that in a country where we drive on the right side, it makes sense. However, as a kid, I could ride one-handed with my left hand, but not my right. Sure there are times when I could actually ride no-handed, but not when you need to signal you are slowing down or turning. Also ladles (most have just one pouring spout designed for use with your right hand, refrigerators (really, it wasn't until we had for a time a fridge on top and freezer on bottom and I put everything on the left side--and no one else could find it--that I realized that my inclination would be fridge on left, freezer on right), car accelerators, video game controls, doors and doorknobs (really. I didn't notice how accustom I was to using my right hand until I hurt my right shoulder. Now, every time I reach out for a door knob, I remember.) knives (like scissors really. the sharp edge, especially of serrated knives is on one side, not down the middle) vegetable peelers (some can be used from either side, so that's nice) sewing machines knitting instructions, videos, designs, etc. (yes, in theory you just do it in reverse, but sometimes it isn't that easy. You try it). Reading: going from left to right is counter-intuitive (makes you wonder if the inventors of languages that move from right to left were left-handed). On the flip side, I can read mirror image. Then again, maybe I would have been a faster reader if I could have read (and written) everything from right to left. Clocks: and anything that has a clockwise direction (like screws--righty tighty. When you're left handed, you have more strength if they worked the other way). Yes, I am used to analogue clocks as they are, but really, I'd have designed them the other way. Hair bows: okay, this sounds really weird. But years ago, I made hairbows as gifts--I took existing barrettes and decorated them. One year, I made actual bows and attached them. I never gave any thought to how I made them until the recipients complained that I had done them upside: when they put them on like a righty, the bows were upside down. They worked just fine on me. Of course knitting, sort of. I mean knitting needles are identical and you can knit any way you want. The problem is that most instructions and videos and all of that are written for people who are right hand-dominant. Yes, there are different ways to knit as a right-hander, but they still favor the right-handed. But see my knitting page for a rant on all of that. One day, I'll learn to knit right-handed as well. How cool would it be to knit both ways--then you never turn the work over to the "wrong" side. While I'm on the subject, there is also the issue of winding yarn. Years ago, I was winding a skein of yarn into a ball and a friend watched very amused. Eventually she pointed out that I must have been taught how to wind yarn by a right handed person, ball of yarn in left and loose in right, I think. But instead of winding the yarn by moving my right hand, I move my left. I might not be describing it properly, because if I stop and think about it, I'm not sure how I do it. Besides, these days, with a properly set skein, I pull the yarn from the middle and knit without winding first. It;s better than having a ball rolling around, I've read that winding into a ball can stretch the yarn, and it saves time. The only reason not to is to check the skein--sometimes there are breaks in the yarn that have been tied together. Rarely, there's tangles. Check marks: yes all of us lefties have been forced to write against our natural inclination by having to write from left to right. Really, I 'refer right to left--and can read mirror image writing. When I was a kid I was faster and better this way, but of course years having to go from left to right left me out of practice. However, there is on place in which I suppose at some level I refused to reform: checkmarks. Mine are "backward." In addition to being easier to start at the right, make a small line down toward the left and then pull the pen up and to the left, I think it makes more sense. That small part of the check is right up against the item you are checking, no confusion. I've seen a list with righty checkmarks and sometimes it's hard to tell which item has been checked. I had a list once somewhere that was way longer. Perhaps I will add to this as I remember or hear from other lefties. My new email [email protected] |