August 13 marks National Left Hander's Day. For those of us who are lucky enough to be left-handed, this day helps us raise awareness for our struggles in a right-handed world.
Not a southpaw? That's ok! You can equally share in our celebration of special talents of being left-handed.
Each day left-handed people have to endure living in a right handed world. We left-handers battle daily with things like:
- Bumping elbows at the dinner table
- Permanent stains on our left hand from writing
- Putting belts on upside-down
- Having to use right-handed desks (no really, this is the worst)
- Not being able to borrow scissors from anyone
- Moving the mouse to the left of every computer you use
- Having to take all notebook paper out, if you don't the rings keep you from beginning writing at the left margin
- We can't easily borrow musical instruments because they are all made for right-handed people
Right-handers may not recognize these things, but our left-handedness is a constant struggle.
Here are some interesting facts you didn't know about being left-handed:
- Between 10-12% of people on earth are “lefties.”
- Many sources claim that left-handers may die as many as nine years earlier than right-handers.
- Famous left-handed intellectuals include Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Benjamin Franklin.
- The Incas thought left-handers were capable of healing and that they possessed magical abilities. The North American Zuni tribe believed left-handedness signified good luck.
- People who use their left hands tend to be more affected by fear than people who use their right hands
- Left-handers are more likely to be insomniacs
- They use the right side of their brain the most
- Lefties are better at multi-tasking
- Left handed college graduates go on to become 26% richer than right handed graduates
- Recover from strokes faster
Although our struggle is rarely recognized, we as left-handers need to stick together. Being left-handed may slowly drive us mad, but we can relish in the fact we are probably more creative, tolerant, richer and unique than our right-handed counterparts.
So, here's to being left-handed!
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