I work in an Information Technology field and have observed that there are an inordinate number of IT professionals. I recently managed a group of 16 programmers. Half were left-handed. Maybe it has something to do with a lefthander’s creative and logical thinking abilities?

By the way, I’m the only lefty in my family except for my nephew, my sister’s son.

My second grade teacher tried to convert me, and my mother got her fired over it. I also broke my left wrist in 4th grade, and had to spend 6 weeks trying to exist right-handed. School nurse lost her job over that fiasco. My right handed writing is almost physician-worthy legible.

I 10-key right handed, scissor right handed, peel veggies left handed and backwards, cut with a knife left handed, then switch fork and knife to eat left handed. I have to sit on the far left to eat or keep my elbow in my lap.

I deal with a right handed kitchen, right handed computer desk, try to read coffee mugs backwards, and ink pens upside down. Even my sewing machines are right handed. While my belly dance scimitar is balanced for dance, when in my left hand, its backwards - designed by a right-hander.

On/off switches on clippers, lighters, and safety switches on my cordless drill are all geared for righties. You get good at making your left thumb into a contortionist or turning things on with your pinkie. Which is usually stained black or blue or purple from ink, (smurf smudge) unless you’ve learned to write with your pinkie lifted out of the way, or your paper almost upside down. I’ve got good ‘english teacup pinkie’.

I find myself frustrated at the ‘unfairness’ of it all, and then go on, making adjustments to existing in a right handed world. I added a table to the area left of my computer, for room to write. The kitchen is a lost cause. In fact, so is the bathroom.

I have discovered there are several advantages to being left handed in a right handed world - the scissoring - having to do it right handed leaves the dominant left hand free to use the pen in the left. I hold my grooming shears in my right hand, and my clippers in my left. There are times 2 functioning hands comes in handy. hm. Sometimes 3 would be nice.

I would love to open a ‘lefties’ store, to order promotional pens printed upside down and sarcastic t-shirts, bumper stickers and coffee mugs - printed for the lefty, of course. A lefty notebook would be great! Punched for a righty binder is insane. I guess everyone has to make adjustments.

The keyboard for an example. Let’s get all right handed people to try and 10 key with their left hand!! But, we as lefties, know that we have to make it workable and we ‘learn’ to 10 key with our right hand.

My dad was born a left but forced to be right handed, my mom and my brothers are lefties!

occurring in 10% of the total population—-

1.16 in a thousand.

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