Great topic! I am steadfastly right handed so I appreciate seeing how things work for those who are not (interesting that female lefties are even rarer than their male counterparts (sticking with those two general sexes). I think I've heard about the scissors issue before, ugh, my sympathies. Occasionally I experiment with writing with my left hand. I can almost do a decent job with the printing but it's a struggle! As for cursive writing with the left hand... ugh.
Your mention of Paul McCartney is interesting because that made me think of other musicians whose handedness may conflict with the instrument orientation that they use. According to a quick Google search, the following musicians are naturally left handed but play their guitars right handed: Duane Allman, Elvis Costello, Joe Perry, Johnny Winters, Mark Knopfler, Gary Moore, and Billy Corgan. Then there's Jimi Hendrix, who wrote with his right hand but played left handed... maybe he was forced to use his right hand to write?
Thanks, Mark! It's funny - I too was surprised about female left-handers being scarcer than male ones. Paul McCartney always looked SO cool in Beatles footage and pictures with his left-handed guitar. I hadn't realised that there are so many left-handed musicians out there performing right-handed - that's commitment! If I pick up a guitar (I don't play, but Jim does) then I'll generally hear an exasperated 'You've got it upside DOWN, Rebecca!' pretty smartish!
That said, there are some things that I would do right-handed. For tennis I'd be left-handed, but I'd play golf or hockey right-handed. I'm happy to pour boiling water from a kettle using either hand, but if I want to be pouring very accurately (for example, divvying up a bottle of Christmas fizz equally between a number of flutes) I'd use my right hand, not my left, which I think's quite strange. I usually hold my cup of tea - or my telephone during a call - with my right hand, but I think that's very normal, in that I want to keep my dominant hand free for making notes or whatever. I expect right-handers are therefore generally left-phoned!
There's just so much to explore here - this already frustratingly long post was actually even longer to begin with - so I might well revisit this topic in future!
I’m right-handed - but I do not know my left and my right, and I’m left-handed when it comes to things like sports and interestingly, I usually walk with my left foot first. But I’m awful at left-right discrimination and honestly I was so stressed about it during my driving test because I will go the opposite way. I’ve never been good at distinguishing them, it’s always work for me.
Alison, what a great comment - that's so interesting!
I hear what you're saying about driving - some friends of mine are a 'he always drives, she always navigates' couple, and he struggles with left and right. They use the phrases 'my side' and 'your side' instead, and that works really well for them.
Because I've always known my left from my right I would often be confused that it can be something that isn't necessarily automatic for everybody. But then - relatively recently, in fact - I realised that I get lost everywhere, and I very often don't recognise somewhere I've been just yesterday - my husband often remarks that every journey is a brand new one. I have no clue at all where north is, or where the sea is in relation to me when I'm heading for Brighton on THIS road rather than THAT road, or on which side of the campsite the sun is going to be setting, or whether we're going to be passing my parents' house on our trip to Dover (no - but if we were going to Southampton, then maybe!). I hope I have now developed the empathy that I'd been sorely lacking.
Left foot first! I can't ever go up a flight of stairs if I've started on my right foot - it makes me feel queasy! 🤣
I also enjoyed the analysis of the roots and meanings of 'left'.
Regarding marking and not being able to tick. When I was teaching I got fed up with ticks, so I bought a smiley face stamp and used that instead. Much better.
And thanks for the shout-out. I'm working on my reply to your letter now. I'm considering a more formal beginning than you adopted, perhaps on the lines of:
"Madam
I am disposed to refer to your epistle of the 1st inst, in which you provided me with a detailed account of your gaiters. I must insist, Madam, etc etc"
Yes, I knew the shop - thanks for the links! I remember buying a left-handed ruler - the markings on it are the other way round - ie the zero on the right. Sounds bonkers, but if I'm drawing a straight line with a ruler, I always go from right to left (so that I'm pulling) rather than left to right (which would mean pushing). It went missing yonks ago - I didn't ever really use the measurements, but I enjoyed the point I felt I was making at the time.
Madam?! It was all I could do to not address my letter to you: 'Yo, Tel!' I reckoned 'Dear Terry' was a decent patch of middle ground...
Terry, I've had to close my browser window away from the left-handed shop, because I'm very upset to have realised that I have been having to sharpen my pencils BACKWARDS for the past four decades. I had no idea that pencil sharpeners are handed - but of course they are! Which means... my rotary cheese grater - I've always used it upside down.
Great story Rebecca! Interesting statistics on who is left-handed. Only one person in my family is left-handed. And it's not me. I never really thought about the problems lefty's would have with pockets on pants or jackets.
You made a lot of valid points. The left-hander is at a disadvantage on a lot of stuff. I just tried to write left-handed. I wrote my name and your name in print and cursive. It didn't go very well.
As far as the phone, as a right-hander, I always hold it in my right-hand. That's the way it seems more comfortable and I can hear people better. If I have write something down, I still hold it up to my right ear but with my left-hand so I can use my right-hand to write everything down.
It always amazes me that your lists are so detailed. Sometimes I wonder if you have any time to do anything else. Of course, you do but I would think this would take up a lot of time. Personally, for my grocery list, I just check the fridge and the cupboards to see what is gone and write it down the night before I go to the store.
Thanks, Matt! That's really interesting about holding the phone in your right hand - that does make sense.
I know what you're saying about detailed lists taking time, but I've had so much practice that I'm really quick to write things down as I need to, and I literally then run my life from what's on the page. I've come to rely on them (which might come back to bite me one day, admittedly)! Mind you, it's very typical of my all-or-nothing approach - I think with my lists I certainly hit the 'all' side of the equation.
I add things to the grocery list as I think of them throughout the week. And it really, really helps me to have lists of exactly what's in the fridge or freezer, and how many portions of it, because I can work out exactly what I can cook with what I've got available just with a single glance at the list.
My dad is also a lefty, so I appreciate some of the difficulties you have to deal with on a daily basis. He's told stories about how the nuns in Catholic school used to force him to write with his right hand as a kid. It didn't take. And it seems that a lot of interesting figures in history have also been lefties, making me wonder if all of that adaptiveness and creative problem solving isn't a secret (sinister?) super power... :-)
LOL Jacquie - I'm getting on board with the 'sinister superpower' idea....!
It's shocking, isn't it, that people used to be made to be right-handed? I'm glad your dad has remained left-handed! Funnily enough my husband's parents are/were both left-handed but both of their children are right-handed. And that's filtered through - although he's not ambidextrous, Jim is probably the most left-biased right-hander I've ever met, and I wonder whether some of that influence is from his parents. He ties his ties the same way that I, as a left-hander, did with my school uniform. And that's absolutely because he learned that from his dad, which I think is wonderful!
Forgot to say - regarding adaptiveness and creativity - I've come across studies in my research for this post (not used because the post was soooooooo much longer when I did!) about left- and right-brained attributes of right- and left-handers, and discussing the question of whether left-handers are in fact more creative. It turns out that there isn't a study in which that has been shown, but it has been shown that it IS the case that people who are more dextrous (I don't mean that as in right-biased, but just as in, well, good with their hands) are more creative regardless of their handedness, meaning that it's their dexterity that is the point at hand, rather than the left/right debate.
There is HUGE creativity in being what you call a klutz! And heck, you're SO creative - I've been getting to know your fabulous creativity very nicely right here on Substack!
Scissors! Growing up, I thought all scissors were uncomfortable and unwieldy. I remember getting my first pair of left-handers. Revelation! I also managed to find a left-handed potato peeler and hand-held can opener and many other "gadgets" that made life easier for a cack-handed south paw. Thanks for drawing attention to this phenomenon, Rebecca. ( PS remember: Left-handed equals right-brained. Many artists, musicians, writers are left-handed)
Wow, so they work for you, then? Brilliant! I never got on with left-handed peelers but I LOVE the more modern ambidextrous ones with the blade set perpendicular to the handle - they're amazing. 'Cack-handed southpaw' - LOVE this...!!!!!!
Thanks for all the word lessons here, Rebecca, and for this wonderful post on left-handedness. My dad is a lefty, so we grew up a bit more attuned to the challenges for the rare ones of the world. I do have a couple of “left” ways of doing things because he taught me--I shoot a gun left handed (lots of hunting where I live, so I shot a gun at an early age--left finger on the trigger), and I discovered one day that I loop my shoelaces differently.
Of note--I never considered how words were written on a pencil, and ONE single back pocket?! That’s lunacy!
Also now we’ll need you to devote a post to this increíble fridge/freezer inventory method!
Thanks so much, Holly! The influence of our parents on things like these is really interesting, just like Jim learning to tie his tie from his left-handed dad. I think I'd probably shoot a gun left-handed rather than right, but that's left-handed programming rather than training.
Fascinating re the shoelaces - I've never given shoelace-tying any thought in terms of handedness! I do the right-hand loop first, so the looping-around stage is done with my left. At least I think I do. I fold my arms the other way up to the way that right-handers do - I've always wondered if I were to ever get tattoos, what if I had a phrase that's half on one forearm and half on the other.... and it turned out that the two halves were in the wrong order because of the way I fold my arms....?! No danger of that happening (the tattoo, I mean - I do plenty of arm-folding!), but gosh, the things I think about sometimes!
My 'kitchen page' will put in an appearance very soon - thanks so much for saying! When I started my Substack I wanted to be including a load of stuff about planning - so far I've only very slightly mentioned stuff like that.
Now I need to go tie my shoes to see how I’m holding that first loop again. I think I hold it with my left--so maybe I *am* a right-handed shoelacer? When I cross my arms it’s left over right--something I never considered before. Is that how you cross? Regardless, there will be zero forearm tattoos here either!🤣
LOL! Right over left in terms of arm-crossing here. I'm at my desk, and with my arms crossed the whole of my left forearm is lying flat on the desk, with my right arm on top and my right elbow on the desk. So we're exactly the opposite way! And gosh, that was waaaaay harder to explain than I thought it would be!
It's amazing how many things are - things we don't ever think about! I had another thing I'd wanted to include, but this post had become far too long already - when I lived in Germany I found it extremely difficult to drive a car, having gone from a right-hand drive to a left-hand drive. They wanted me to change gear with my right hand! Wow. And it's also been pointed out to me that I am at a huge advantage over right-handers when using a knife and fork - I'd never thought of that before. I suspect I'll be writing a follow-up to this post sometime....
Now you two have me thinking about this. I'm left over right on crossing arms. No tattoos for me either.
Shoelaces are like this. Hopefully this communicates right:
I have my lefthand on the left shoelace. I use my righthand to throw the right shoelace over to the left. So the right shoelace is in front of the left. Now my lefthand holds both shoelaces. With righthand, I take the left shoelace and go over and under the right shoelace and tighten. I put right index finger on the area to hold the area. Right thumb makes a loop while lefthand holds it. Right hand wrap around the loop. Right index finger pushes left loop through. Left index finger and thumb pull left loop through and you've tied your shoe.
It's amazing how unconscious we are to the left- or right-handed things we do on autopilot, isn't it? I was chatting to my husband about it last night, specifically about in which hand he holds a spoon to eat pudding.... and he couldn't remember! 🤣
Matt, you tie your laces the other way round to me. It's my left hand that wraps the lace around that first loop. Also, I always put my right shoe on first - I think that's because I'm more confident standing on my right leg than my left, because I'm left-footed, and so I do action stuff with my left and standing-still stuff with my right!
It's just struck me, Matt - in the US, 'pudding' is a specific TYPE of dessert, whereas in UK, 'pudding' is the actual WORD for dessert! And sometimes we have what you call 'pudding' for 'pudding'....!!! 🤣
'What's for pudding?' my husband might ask. 'Apple crumble and custard', I might reply. And I think you actually call THAT 'apple crisp' over there!
You know, as an inveterate right-hander, this way of seeing the world just doesn’t speak to me. The whole “this doesn’t work for me” vibe just feels off. And THAT must be how you feel. I’m gonna have to think about that one a bit.
I’m gonna follow up on this one with you ... not only am I right-handed, I’m also tall, white, male, educated, American, etc. etc. And try as I might (and I do) to walk in other people’s shoes, or use their scissors, it just doesn’t ever feel natural. For whatever reason, your left-handed article just really opened this one up in a different way than I’ve usually thought about it.
Thanks for sharing, great post 😊 It’s not something I’ve thought much of, but isn’t that always the case when we sit with the privilege of the majority? So I learned a lot!
Also, that A4 sheet for meal planning...is that a template you can share?! 👀
Thanks, Bryn! It's made me think a lot about majority privilege, too. There are so many things I'm grateful for, because in very many respects I'm in the majority. And I quite like that I've got left-handedness as something that makes me a little different!
Re the A4 sheet - I'm working on a post about it to explain how it all works - and yes, it will be! Thanks so much for your interest!
There was a lot of controversy over King Charles' stroppy behaviour when the inkwell got in his way, at his official accession. I did think it was a bit harsh to be so upset with him. His mother had just died, he'd had the weight of at least a small bit of the world dumped upon his shoulders, he has terribly rheumatic hands, and after all, someone's only job was to set up a table where he could easily and comfortably sign the dreaded documents.
However.
What really made us smile was Prince William. Having watched his father get in a right two and eight about the fact that the inkwell was *in his way* he followed on with a distinct look of 'hold my beer - I'm left handed mate, everything's in my way permanently' and managed to sign the thing at a properly weird angle with nowhere on earth to put his elbow, and no fuss at all.
As a fellow left-hander, I could only chuckle and nod at things most take for granted while we lefties are "left" out in the cold. I suppose there is a silver lining in that I think being left-handed fosters adaptability that we can apply to almost anything. I feel your pain! :)
hell yesssss i feel seen! I've never thought about how stuff is more difficult though besides of course scissors, a big reason why I never got into any arts and crafts sort of stuff.
The biggest pain for me is the smudging. I like fountain pens and other pens with ink of wet repute. And as my dumb little hand scrawls across the page to keep up with my ideas, bam, everything is smudged. And I end up with the left side of my pinky all the way down the palm covered in said ink
Gosh, its so sad about natural left-handers being made to change - I'm glad (well, I hope!) that that isn't the case any more.
Great topic! I am steadfastly right handed so I appreciate seeing how things work for those who are not (interesting that female lefties are even rarer than their male counterparts (sticking with those two general sexes). I think I've heard about the scissors issue before, ugh, my sympathies. Occasionally I experiment with writing with my left hand. I can almost do a decent job with the printing but it's a struggle! As for cursive writing with the left hand... ugh.
Your mention of Paul McCartney is interesting because that made me think of other musicians whose handedness may conflict with the instrument orientation that they use. According to a quick Google search, the following musicians are naturally left handed but play their guitars right handed: Duane Allman, Elvis Costello, Joe Perry, Johnny Winters, Mark Knopfler, Gary Moore, and Billy Corgan. Then there's Jimi Hendrix, who wrote with his right hand but played left handed... maybe he was forced to use his right hand to write?
Thanks for another fun post!
Thanks, Mark! It's funny - I too was surprised about female left-handers being scarcer than male ones. Paul McCartney always looked SO cool in Beatles footage and pictures with his left-handed guitar. I hadn't realised that there are so many left-handed musicians out there performing right-handed - that's commitment! If I pick up a guitar (I don't play, but Jim does) then I'll generally hear an exasperated 'You've got it upside DOWN, Rebecca!' pretty smartish!
That said, there are some things that I would do right-handed. For tennis I'd be left-handed, but I'd play golf or hockey right-handed. I'm happy to pour boiling water from a kettle using either hand, but if I want to be pouring very accurately (for example, divvying up a bottle of Christmas fizz equally between a number of flutes) I'd use my right hand, not my left, which I think's quite strange. I usually hold my cup of tea - or my telephone during a call - with my right hand, but I think that's very normal, in that I want to keep my dominant hand free for making notes or whatever. I expect right-handers are therefore generally left-phoned!
There's just so much to explore here - this already frustratingly long post was actually even longer to begin with - so I might well revisit this topic in future!
I’m right-handed - but I do not know my left and my right, and I’m left-handed when it comes to things like sports and interestingly, I usually walk with my left foot first. But I’m awful at left-right discrimination and honestly I was so stressed about it during my driving test because I will go the opposite way. I’ve never been good at distinguishing them, it’s always work for me.
Alison, what a great comment - that's so interesting!
I hear what you're saying about driving - some friends of mine are a 'he always drives, she always navigates' couple, and he struggles with left and right. They use the phrases 'my side' and 'your side' instead, and that works really well for them.
Because I've always known my left from my right I would often be confused that it can be something that isn't necessarily automatic for everybody. But then - relatively recently, in fact - I realised that I get lost everywhere, and I very often don't recognise somewhere I've been just yesterday - my husband often remarks that every journey is a brand new one. I have no clue at all where north is, or where the sea is in relation to me when I'm heading for Brighton on THIS road rather than THAT road, or on which side of the campsite the sun is going to be setting, or whether we're going to be passing my parents' house on our trip to Dover (no - but if we were going to Southampton, then maybe!). I hope I have now developed the empathy that I'd been sorely lacking.
Left foot first! I can't ever go up a flight of stairs if I've started on my right foot - it makes me feel queasy! 🤣
I loved this post, Rebecca, because of its humour, and setting out clearly the problems faced by sinister I mean left-handed people.
Are you aware of the left-handed shop in London? https://anythinglefthanded.co.uk/ I used to like looking in the window, marvelling at all the ordinary everyday objects that I and so many others take for granted. Sadly, the physical shop is no more, but everything is online, as you can read about here: https://blog.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/about/about-alh/shop-history.html
I also enjoyed the analysis of the roots and meanings of 'left'.
Regarding marking and not being able to tick. When I was teaching I got fed up with ticks, so I bought a smiley face stamp and used that instead. Much better.
And thanks for the shout-out. I'm working on my reply to your letter now. I'm considering a more formal beginning than you adopted, perhaps on the lines of:
"Madam
I am disposed to refer to your epistle of the 1st inst, in which you provided me with a detailed account of your gaiters. I must insist, Madam, etc etc"
Yes, that should strike the right note...
Thanks, Terry - I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Yes, I knew the shop - thanks for the links! I remember buying a left-handed ruler - the markings on it are the other way round - ie the zero on the right. Sounds bonkers, but if I'm drawing a straight line with a ruler, I always go from right to left (so that I'm pulling) rather than left to right (which would mean pushing). It went missing yonks ago - I didn't ever really use the measurements, but I enjoyed the point I felt I was making at the time.
Madam?! It was all I could do to not address my letter to you: 'Yo, Tel!' I reckoned 'Dear Terry' was a decent patch of middle ground...
LOL
Terry, I've had to close my browser window away from the left-handed shop, because I'm very upset to have realised that I have been having to sharpen my pencils BACKWARDS for the past four decades. I had no idea that pencil sharpeners are handed - but of course they are! Which means... my rotary cheese grater - I've always used it upside down.
I'm going to need therapy for this.
blimey. I didn't know either, but it's logical I suppose. Take some Rescue Remedy and lie down in a darkened room.
LOL! 🤣
Great story Rebecca! Interesting statistics on who is left-handed. Only one person in my family is left-handed. And it's not me. I never really thought about the problems lefty's would have with pockets on pants or jackets.
You made a lot of valid points. The left-hander is at a disadvantage on a lot of stuff. I just tried to write left-handed. I wrote my name and your name in print and cursive. It didn't go very well.
As far as the phone, as a right-hander, I always hold it in my right-hand. That's the way it seems more comfortable and I can hear people better. If I have write something down, I still hold it up to my right ear but with my left-hand so I can use my right-hand to write everything down.
It always amazes me that your lists are so detailed. Sometimes I wonder if you have any time to do anything else. Of course, you do but I would think this would take up a lot of time. Personally, for my grocery list, I just check the fridge and the cupboards to see what is gone and write it down the night before I go to the store.
Thanks, Matt! That's really interesting about holding the phone in your right hand - that does make sense.
I know what you're saying about detailed lists taking time, but I've had so much practice that I'm really quick to write things down as I need to, and I literally then run my life from what's on the page. I've come to rely on them (which might come back to bite me one day, admittedly)! Mind you, it's very typical of my all-or-nothing approach - I think with my lists I certainly hit the 'all' side of the equation.
I add things to the grocery list as I think of them throughout the week. And it really, really helps me to have lists of exactly what's in the fridge or freezer, and how many portions of it, because I can work out exactly what I can cook with what I've got available just with a single glance at the list.
My dad is also a lefty, so I appreciate some of the difficulties you have to deal with on a daily basis. He's told stories about how the nuns in Catholic school used to force him to write with his right hand as a kid. It didn't take. And it seems that a lot of interesting figures in history have also been lefties, making me wonder if all of that adaptiveness and creative problem solving isn't a secret (sinister?) super power... :-)
LOL Jacquie - I'm getting on board with the 'sinister superpower' idea....!
It's shocking, isn't it, that people used to be made to be right-handed? I'm glad your dad has remained left-handed! Funnily enough my husband's parents are/were both left-handed but both of their children are right-handed. And that's filtered through - although he's not ambidextrous, Jim is probably the most left-biased right-hander I've ever met, and I wonder whether some of that influence is from his parents. He ties his ties the same way that I, as a left-hander, did with my school uniform. And that's absolutely because he learned that from his dad, which I think is wonderful!
Forgot to say - regarding adaptiveness and creativity - I've come across studies in my research for this post (not used because the post was soooooooo much longer when I did!) about left- and right-brained attributes of right- and left-handers, and discussing the question of whether left-handers are in fact more creative. It turns out that there isn't a study in which that has been shown, but it has been shown that it IS the case that people who are more dextrous (I don't mean that as in right-biased, but just as in, well, good with their hands) are more creative regardless of their handedness, meaning that it's their dexterity that is the point at hand, rather than the left/right debate.
Huh, that's really interesting! Now I feel like I can't be creative because I'm such a klutz ;-)
There is HUGE creativity in being what you call a klutz! And heck, you're SO creative - I've been getting to know your fabulous creativity very nicely right here on Substack!
That's so kind of you to say! And I like to think I've raised being a klutz to an art form :-D
Brilliant!!! And hey, I think we all need that slogan on a t-shirt now, don't we?!
.....or a pencil. BOTH ways up!
J.M., my dad was also forced to write right-handed early in school. He claims that’s why his handwriting is so terrible!
Ha, my dad says the same thing about his terrible handwriting!
Scissors! Growing up, I thought all scissors were uncomfortable and unwieldy. I remember getting my first pair of left-handers. Revelation! I also managed to find a left-handed potato peeler and hand-held can opener and many other "gadgets" that made life easier for a cack-handed south paw. Thanks for drawing attention to this phenomenon, Rebecca. ( PS remember: Left-handed equals right-brained. Many artists, musicians, writers are left-handed)
Wow, so they work for you, then? Brilliant! I never got on with left-handed peelers but I LOVE the more modern ambidextrous ones with the blade set perpendicular to the handle - they're amazing. 'Cack-handed southpaw' - LOVE this...!!!!!!
Fascinating topic! I am a proud left-hander, but luckily (for convenience) I can do some tasks right handed.
Thanks, Amy! Best of both worlds, eh? I like your style!!!
Thanks for all the word lessons here, Rebecca, and for this wonderful post on left-handedness. My dad is a lefty, so we grew up a bit more attuned to the challenges for the rare ones of the world. I do have a couple of “left” ways of doing things because he taught me--I shoot a gun left handed (lots of hunting where I live, so I shot a gun at an early age--left finger on the trigger), and I discovered one day that I loop my shoelaces differently.
Of note--I never considered how words were written on a pencil, and ONE single back pocket?! That’s lunacy!
Also now we’ll need you to devote a post to this increíble fridge/freezer inventory method!
Thanks so much, Holly! The influence of our parents on things like these is really interesting, just like Jim learning to tie his tie from his left-handed dad. I think I'd probably shoot a gun left-handed rather than right, but that's left-handed programming rather than training.
Fascinating re the shoelaces - I've never given shoelace-tying any thought in terms of handedness! I do the right-hand loop first, so the looping-around stage is done with my left. At least I think I do. I fold my arms the other way up to the way that right-handers do - I've always wondered if I were to ever get tattoos, what if I had a phrase that's half on one forearm and half on the other.... and it turned out that the two halves were in the wrong order because of the way I fold my arms....?! No danger of that happening (the tattoo, I mean - I do plenty of arm-folding!), but gosh, the things I think about sometimes!
My 'kitchen page' will put in an appearance very soon - thanks so much for saying! When I started my Substack I wanted to be including a load of stuff about planning - so far I've only very slightly mentioned stuff like that.
Now I need to go tie my shoes to see how I’m holding that first loop again. I think I hold it with my left--so maybe I *am* a right-handed shoelacer? When I cross my arms it’s left over right--something I never considered before. Is that how you cross? Regardless, there will be zero forearm tattoos here either!🤣
LOL! Right over left in terms of arm-crossing here. I'm at my desk, and with my arms crossed the whole of my left forearm is lying flat on the desk, with my right arm on top and my right elbow on the desk. So we're exactly the opposite way! And gosh, that was waaaaay harder to explain than I thought it would be!
Who knew arm-crossing worked based on handedness?!
It's amazing how many things are - things we don't ever think about! I had another thing I'd wanted to include, but this post had become far too long already - when I lived in Germany I found it extremely difficult to drive a car, having gone from a right-hand drive to a left-hand drive. They wanted me to change gear with my right hand! Wow. And it's also been pointed out to me that I am at a huge advantage over right-handers when using a knife and fork - I'd never thought of that before. I suspect I'll be writing a follow-up to this post sometime....
Now you two have me thinking about this. I'm left over right on crossing arms. No tattoos for me either.
Shoelaces are like this. Hopefully this communicates right:
I have my lefthand on the left shoelace. I use my righthand to throw the right shoelace over to the left. So the right shoelace is in front of the left. Now my lefthand holds both shoelaces. With righthand, I take the left shoelace and go over and under the right shoelace and tighten. I put right index finger on the area to hold the area. Right thumb makes a loop while lefthand holds it. Right hand wrap around the loop. Right index finger pushes left loop through. Left index finger and thumb pull left loop through and you've tied your shoe.
It's amazing how unconscious we are to the left- or right-handed things we do on autopilot, isn't it? I was chatting to my husband about it last night, specifically about in which hand he holds a spoon to eat pudding.... and he couldn't remember! 🤣
Matt, you tie your laces the other way round to me. It's my left hand that wraps the lace around that first loop. Also, I always put my right shoe on first - I think that's because I'm more confident standing on my right leg than my left, because I'm left-footed, and so I do action stuff with my left and standing-still stuff with my right!
LOL! It's the right hand for me on pudding. In fact, I have it every Sunday for my dessert.
And I always put my left shoe on first.
LOL, Matt - we’re very similar, in that I’m very definitely left-handed and your are equally very definitely right-handed!
It's just struck me, Matt - in the US, 'pudding' is a specific TYPE of dessert, whereas in UK, 'pudding' is the actual WORD for dessert! And sometimes we have what you call 'pudding' for 'pudding'....!!! 🤣
'What's for pudding?' my husband might ask. 'Apple crumble and custard', I might reply. And I think you actually call THAT 'apple crisp' over there!
You know, as an inveterate right-hander, this way of seeing the world just doesn’t speak to me. The whole “this doesn’t work for me” vibe just feels off. And THAT must be how you feel. I’m gonna have to think about that one a bit.
What a delightfully insightful reply, Tom! Thanks!
I’m gonna follow up on this one with you ... not only am I right-handed, I’m also tall, white, male, educated, American, etc. etc. And try as I might (and I do) to walk in other people’s shoes, or use their scissors, it just doesn’t ever feel natural. For whatever reason, your left-handed article just really opened this one up in a different way than I’ve usually thought about it.
Thanks for sharing, great post 😊 It’s not something I’ve thought much of, but isn’t that always the case when we sit with the privilege of the majority? So I learned a lot!
Also, that A4 sheet for meal planning...is that a template you can share?! 👀
Thanks, Bryn! It's made me think a lot about majority privilege, too. There are so many things I'm grateful for, because in very many respects I'm in the majority. And I quite like that I've got left-handedness as something that makes me a little different!
Re the A4 sheet - I'm working on a post about it to explain how it all works - and yes, it will be! Thanks so much for your interest!
There was a lot of controversy over King Charles' stroppy behaviour when the inkwell got in his way, at his official accession. I did think it was a bit harsh to be so upset with him. His mother had just died, he'd had the weight of at least a small bit of the world dumped upon his shoulders, he has terribly rheumatic hands, and after all, someone's only job was to set up a table where he could easily and comfortably sign the dreaded documents.
However.
What really made us smile was Prince William. Having watched his father get in a right two and eight about the fact that the inkwell was *in his way* he followed on with a distinct look of 'hold my beer - I'm left handed mate, everything's in my way permanently' and managed to sign the thing at a properly weird angle with nowhere on earth to put his elbow, and no fuss at all.
LOL - I love everything you've written here, Jackie! You're absolutely right in what you say about both of them!
As a fellow left-hander, I could only chuckle and nod at things most take for granted while we lefties are "left" out in the cold. I suppose there is a silver lining in that I think being left-handed fosters adaptability that we can apply to almost anything. I feel your pain! :)
Ah yes, we're nothing if not adaptable, Mark! 'Left' out in the cold - I can see what you did there! 🤣
hell yesssss i feel seen! I've never thought about how stuff is more difficult though besides of course scissors, a big reason why I never got into any arts and crafts sort of stuff.
The biggest pain for me is the smudging. I like fountain pens and other pens with ink of wet repute. And as my dumb little hand scrawls across the page to keep up with my ideas, bam, everything is smudged. And I end up with the left side of my pinky all the way down the palm covered in said ink
Ah yes, the inescapable inky fingers, Alex! We need to invent us some LEFT-HANDED INK...! 🤔