Entry #8: What it's like to be left-handed
Did you know that only about 10% of the world is left-handed? Well, I’m glad to say that I’m one of the 10%! All my life, I’ve always thought being left-handed was cool, especially since left-handed females are rarer and I still do to this day! But it does have some struggles. If you've ever met someone who writes with their left hand, you might just know about the challenges we face with everyday tools that are designed for right-handed people and how this affects us lefties. If not, I’ll show you how.
Because of how there’s more right-handed people in the world than those who are left-handed, us lefties have more trouble using everyday things. One example of this includes can openers. According to Peter Kinley, “Traditional manual can openers have a turning mechanism on the right side. This means a right-handed grip is essential to operate one smoothly. Lefties either have to use their non-dominant hand or awkwardly maneuver the device. While left-handed can openers exist, they are not widely available.” This can be annoying when you're in a rush or really hungry. Another example is when you're writing notes in your notebook and then the ink ends up smudged all over your left hand. This happens because we have to write over what we just wrote so the ink smears more on your hand. This made me think of how many adjustments I’ve had to make while growing up and how much extra effort I have to put into doing simple tasks. Other examples include guitars, scissors, spiral notebooks, and sometimes desks that are made for right-handed people.
Being left-handed isn’t all a struggle though. There are many advantages such as how we are more creative, better at problem solving, multitasking, and more! According to Omama Anwar, “Lefties have always had to think faster because they’ve always had to deal with right-handed issues. Later in adulthood, this pays off since communication between both hemispheres of their brain is considerably faster and more efficient. This is why lefties have an easier time multitasking.” Just reading this made me realize how nice it really is to be a leftie. Even if some of the advantages aren’t actually true, it’s always fun to hear them and it makes me feel special!
In short, it is hard to notice how many things are built for right-handed people. From school supplies such as scissors, rulers, and binders to instruments like the guitar and violin, they are everywhere. Being left handed can come with a lot of struggles, but it has taught me a lot about adapting and has pushed me to become more independent. What are your thoughts?
I never really thought of the struggles that would come along with being left handed. I thought it'd be no different than being right handed. I'm right handed, so maybe I just haven't checked privilege. I'm sorry about your struggle as a left handed person.
ReplyDeleteSalina, it is so cool that you are left handed. I also never realized that a lot of things are made only for right handed people! That is crazy. Props to you for making the extra effort in the little things!
ReplyDelete