Written by Are you one of the 10% of the world’s population who is left-handed?
If so, you might be interested to know that there is a special day dedicated to celebrating your uniqueness and raising awareness of the challenges you face in a right-handed world. I’m a left-hander too.
That day is August 13, called International Left-Handers Day, and people celebrate this worldwide!!!!!!
What is being left-handed?
Being left-handed means that you prefer to use your left hand for tasks that require manual dexterity, such as writing, drawing, eating, throwing, etc.
It also means that you tend to use the left side of your brain more than the right side, which is associated with creativity, intuition, and emotion.
What about the history of Left-handers?
Left-handers have not always been treated well throughout history. In many cultures, being left-handed was considered a sign of evil, weakness, or inferiority.
Left-handers were often discriminated against, persecuted, or forced to switch hands. Some of the negative words associated with left-handedness are sinister (from Latin for left), gauche (from French for left), and awkward (from Old Norse for wrong).
However, not all cultures view left-handers negatively. Some ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians, the Greeks, and the Romans, revered left-handers for their artistic and musical abilities.
Some Native American tribes believed that left-handers had special powers and were chosen by the gods.
How did we become left-handed?
Scientists are not sure what causes some people to be left-handed, but they think it has something to do with genetics, hormones, and brain development.
A study found that more males are left-handed than females. Some studies suggest that left-handers are more likely to have twins, allergies, dyslexia, and schizophrenia.
However, they are also more likely to excel in sports, music, art, and leadership, and there are many famous lefties who excelled in various fields!
Left-handers face many challenges in a world designed for right-handers. They have to deal with tools, gadgets, furniture, and appliances that are not suited for their dominant hand.
They have to cope with smudging ink, bumping elbows, and twisting their wrists when writing or using scissors. They have to learn to adapt to right-handed systems of education, language, and etiquette.
Fortunately, there are many things that can make life easier for left-handers. There are special products designed for left-handers, such as pens, scissors, knives, can openers, watches, keyboards, guitars, and golf clubs.
There are also websites, books, magazines, clubs, and organizations that cater to the needs and interests of left-handers. There are even schools and colleges that offer scholarships for left-handed students. (great, right?)
According to some estimates, there are about 700 million left-handers in the world today! That means that one in every 10 people is left-handed.
The percentage of left-handers varies by country, ranging from 3% in Indonesia to 13% in the Netherlands. Some countries have more left-handed men than women, while others have more left-handed women than men, as I told you earlier.
Famous left-handed people
You may be wondering who were these famous lefties or you may already know. There are many famous and successful people who are or were left-handed. Some examples are:
– Barack Obama (former US president)
– Oprah Winfrey (media mogul)
– Bill Gates (Microsoft founder)
– Leonardo da Vinci (Renaissance artist)
– Marie Curie (Nobel Prize-winning scientist)
– Albert Einstein (physicist)
– Jimi Hendrix (guitarist)
– Angelina Jolie (actress)
– Lionel Messi (soccer player)
– Sachin Tendulkar (cricketer)
And Wolfgang A. Mozart, a great musician, was also a leftie!!
What to do on Left-Handers Day??
There are many ways to celebrate Left Handers Day on August 13. You can:
– Show off your left-handed skills and talents
– Educate others about the advantages and disadvantages of being left-handed
– Challenge yourself and others to do things with your non-dominant hand
– Appreciate the diversity and uniqueness of human beings
Final word for lefties….
Being left-handed is not a curse or a defect! It is a gift and a blessing.
Personally, I’m proud to be a leftie, and I value it a lot. Left-handers have contributed greatly to the fields of science, art, music, sports, politics, and entertainment.
They have shown that they can overcome obstacles and achieve greatness. They have proven that they are not just different but special.
Last but not least, thank you, righties, for trying to make the world a better place for lefties!
So, if you are a left-hander or know someone who is one,
Happy Left Handers Day!
with love,
Jason (alex)
