I thought I'd weigh in on this thread with a rather serious, and I suspect common, problem. My father was a lefty. I was born a lefty, yet when I entered grade school in 1943, it was the accepted practice that those children who reached for the pencil with their left hands, were somehow defective. Being only six, I couldn't dispute this.

By the time I was in the third grade, and under the "teaching" of Mrs. Spaulding (she taught penmanship) I knew that I was quite a defective person. I knew this because she told me so every day. She said I couldn't "hold a pencil right" (write?), 'nor could I write well.

For most of my life I lived with serious writers block. I knew, early on that I couldn't write!

Fast forward to about 18 years ago, when my life long friend Walt Robertson passed away. Mark Moss, of Sing Out magazine, contacted me and asked me to write Walt's obituary. I totally freaked out! WHAT ... ME WRITE?

After three weeks of pure hell, I finally submitted 300 words that were published unchanged. That was a pivitol moment in my life.

Today, I find myslef writing a great deal. And the positive response I receive is most gratifying.    Take THAT Mrs. Spaulding! bob(deckman)nelson