South paws of the world, unite!

Just for fun, http://www.lefthandersday.com/

I often wonder if the one of the reasons more of us lefties are more ambidextrous than are most righties is simply brain training as a result of growing up in a world where the vast majority of people are right handed.

Would be fun to hear what sense other lefties have made of this right-handed world to which we appear to have adapted reasonably well.

When I was a kid, there was no such thing as left-handed scissors-at least that my family or school had heard of or purchased. I think I handled my first pair in my 40's. By then I was long adapted to using right-handed scissors - imprinted muscle memory and all that - and actually prefer right-handed scissors, which I use in my left hand, to left handed scissors. Not saying I am great at cutting things, but I manage well enough.

My first grade teacher (1956, USA) embarrassed the crap (literally) out of me on my first day of school. Called me up in front of the class, had me draw a line on the board with each hand, and demanded the class assert the line drawn with the right hand was better. Went home in tears, determined to never go back to school. Mom was parked in the principal's office the next morning as soon as it was unlocked. End of that story except that my first grade teacher had it in for me the rest of the year - though she never again tried to intimidate or force me to hold my pencil in my right hand.

I'm one of those folks who can not tell my left from my right hand when giving directions. I think lefties are more prone to this problem than righties but am not sure. I anecdotally attribute this personal fact to being left handed in a right handed world. Everyone knows the hand one uses the most is the right hand. It logically follows that my left hand is my right hand *grin*

I was never a good guitar or autoharp player, even when my fingers worked. Not dexterious, brain/body not connected in a way that fostered all that 'muscle memory' wiring, not good hand-eye coordination, slow reflexes, etc., etc. Don't think that has to do with handedness in particular. But there are a number of things I have always been right handed at, including playing a guitar or autoharp - (not to mention a few things I was right-handed at that I didn't realize I was right-handed at - cranking an apple corer for instance.) I do wonder if whatever happens in the brain that controls handedness, for those of us who are task specific 'switch hitters' if the coordination on both sides may tend not to be as fine as for those who are more exclusive with their handedness.

My handwriting sucks and always has unless I print, and slowly. However, I can write nearly as legibly with my right hand if need be, though it feels somewhat awkward. I can also write in cursive backwards very easily with my left hand -right to left completely reversed. How's that for a life skill!

My son's handwriting is even worse than mine. His printing or writing, at age 20, looks like a 3rd grader's. He is predominantly right handed, but plays guitar, bats, and played some sports right handed, and handles some tools left-handed.

Now I'm gonna go figure out which hand I use to pick my nose or scratch my bum. Full report to follow:^)

How about the rest of you lefties and ambidextrous folks?

One last assertion -must be true because I saw it on a coffee cup. "People are born left-handed. As soon as they commit their first sin, god makes them right-handed."