Today is International Left-Handed Day.
What I want to know is, when is it International Right-Handed Day?
Being left-handed was once a curse. It was considered a sign of the devil. Left-handers were treated with mild suspicion at best. I’ve used this a couple of times in historical novels and my time travel novels, particularly in Kiss Across Swords, where the heroine, Taylor, is left-handed, and is very careful to use her right hand while she’s back in time.
When I was in high school, I knew a man who is left-handed who used to say– in reference to handwriting–that left-handers can always see where they are going, while right-handed can only see where they have been.
My aunt, who grew up during the Second World War and shortly after it, is a natural left-hander. However, I was a teenager before I found out that she was. The teachers at school had forced her to use her right hand at all times. As a result, she could write with both her right and her left hand. Interestingly, depending on which hand she is writing with, the script is completely different. They still look like they were written by the same person, but they are quite distinct.
I suppose it is fair to say that left-handers have a mild disadvantage in a world that is designed for right-handers. I only have to recall how disconcerting it was to learn to drive on the right hand side of the road, after a lifetime of driving on the left. I imagine left-handers experience that same mild confusion when confronted with something that can only be used in the right hand.
If you’re a leftie, or a Molly-Duker (as my daughter is), enjoy your special day! <pout>
Cheers,
.
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