Lefty
Oscar Ávila
GENRE
Welcome to my podcast, Oscar Takes On! Today I will be talking about what it’s like to be left-handed
[Interlude]
Are you left handed? Do you get ink on the side of your hand when you write with a pen? Do you have to sit on the left side of people when you’re eating so you don’t bump arms with them?
Well, these are a few of the daily frustrations for those of us who are left-handed. Yes, that’s right: I am a leftie! So, today, I’ll be talking about what it’s like to be a left-handed person in a world made for right-handed people
First of all, did you know that only about 10% of people in the entire world are left handed? That means 700 million people are left-handed, so if you’re a lefty, you’re not alone. If you think 700 million is a lot, keep in mind that there are more than 7 billion people on the planet
For lefties, we notice just how right-handed-orientated the world is from our earliest years. In preschool or kindergarten, the differences become obvious very quickly. All I have to say is the word “scissors,” and every lefty knows that this important school activity can be our worst nightmare! When I was learning to cut with scissors, I didn’t learn with lefty scissors, so I had to learn how to cut with my right hand. I’ve tried cutting with my left hand, but it just feels uncomfortable, since the scissors are made for righties
Next. If you are a lefty, and you’ve ever written with a pen, you know that all of the ink from the pen gets smeared all over the paper that you were writing on, and it gets all over the side of your hand. And sometimes the same thing happens when writing with a pencil. The lead from the pencil gets on the side of your hand also, and you have to either go wash your hands, or use hand sanitizer
Another thing that is made for righties are spiral notebooks. If you are a left-handed person writing in a spiral notebook and writing on the right page, the metal wire will keep pressing against the side of your hand, and that could hurt
Then, as we get older, we notice that some student desks present a major obstacle. Lefties, you know what I mean: the desk with the chair attached. Usually, the desk part is cut in half, with the half being on the right side of you. so if you’re a lefty and you’re trying to write, it’s very hard to do that since the desk is far away from your left hand
Another inconvenience lefties encounter is eating with other people. If you’re sitting down at a table and you have a righty sitting on your left side, you are going to bump elbows with them. And if you’re at a booth, with a righty on your left side, you are also going to bump elbows with them. So, lefties, it’s better to sit closer to the exit of the booth so that you your elbow doesn’t collide with the person sitting next to you
I wanted to see what other people thought about the advantages and disadvantages of being left-handed, so I decided to ask a few people on social media. So here are a few responses that I got. Fellow lefty Gonzalo said, “Measuring tape numbers are going to be upside down if you pull the tape with your left hand, a few instruments like flutes and guitars that require you to buy special versions of those instruments if you’re left-handed and the can be more expensive.” Shannon said, “It’s a bit more challenging to write on a whiteboard or chalkboard without smudging,” Helen says, “Left-handed people are often much more able to use both hands for tasks because we have to get used to using our right hands”. So those were some responses from Facebook
I also asked my aunt who is a lefty what some advantages and disadvantages are about being left-handed. She said, “Sometimes you can get out of doing a task like painting a room because right handed people think you are doing it backwards,” and, “If you play tennis you usually have a good backhand”
But all of the disadvantages I’ve discussed so far seem pretty harmless compared to the disadvantages lefties faced centuries ago. Here’s a fun fact: Starting in the 15th century, left-handedness was considered evil, and people used to think that lefties were sickly. As time progressed, left-handed stigmas decreased, but there are people who are alive today who can still remember their elementary school teacher swatting their hand with a ruler in order to stop them from writing with their left hand. Ouch!! Thank goodness that people eventually recognized left-handedness is a completely innocent phenomenon. Now, attitudes have changed dramatically, and a basic internet search shows numerous lists of prominent lefties from all around the world. These lists recognize lefties for their many positive contributions to the world. Some of these gifted and talented people include...
Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, and Leonardo da Vanci
How many left handed people do you know? Do lefties run in your family? If you’re left handed, what are some advantages and disadvantages of being a lefty?
[Interlude]
Thank you for listening to my podcast, Oscar Takes On. If you enjoyed, please subscribe to me on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening and I’ll see you in the next episode! Bye!
[Interlude]
Are you left handed? Do you get ink on the side of your hand when you write with a pen? Do you have to sit on the left side of people when you’re eating so you don’t bump arms with them?
Well, these are a few of the daily frustrations for those of us who are left-handed. Yes, that’s right: I am a leftie! So, today, I’ll be talking about what it’s like to be a left-handed person in a world made for right-handed people
First of all, did you know that only about 10% of people in the entire world are left handed? That means 700 million people are left-handed, so if you’re a lefty, you’re not alone. If you think 700 million is a lot, keep in mind that there are more than 7 billion people on the planet
For lefties, we notice just how right-handed-orientated the world is from our earliest years. In preschool or kindergarten, the differences become obvious very quickly. All I have to say is the word “scissors,” and every lefty knows that this important school activity can be our worst nightmare! When I was learning to cut with scissors, I didn’t learn with lefty scissors, so I had to learn how to cut with my right hand. I’ve tried cutting with my left hand, but it just feels uncomfortable, since the scissors are made for righties
Next. If you are a lefty, and you’ve ever written with a pen, you know that all of the ink from the pen gets smeared all over the paper that you were writing on, and it gets all over the side of your hand. And sometimes the same thing happens when writing with a pencil. The lead from the pencil gets on the side of your hand also, and you have to either go wash your hands, or use hand sanitizer
Another thing that is made for righties are spiral notebooks. If you are a left-handed person writing in a spiral notebook and writing on the right page, the metal wire will keep pressing against the side of your hand, and that could hurt
Then, as we get older, we notice that some student desks present a major obstacle. Lefties, you know what I mean: the desk with the chair attached. Usually, the desk part is cut in half, with the half being on the right side of you. so if you’re a lefty and you’re trying to write, it’s very hard to do that since the desk is far away from your left hand
Another inconvenience lefties encounter is eating with other people. If you’re sitting down at a table and you have a righty sitting on your left side, you are going to bump elbows with them. And if you’re at a booth, with a righty on your left side, you are also going to bump elbows with them. So, lefties, it’s better to sit closer to the exit of the booth so that you your elbow doesn’t collide with the person sitting next to you
I wanted to see what other people thought about the advantages and disadvantages of being left-handed, so I decided to ask a few people on social media. So here are a few responses that I got. Fellow lefty Gonzalo said, “Measuring tape numbers are going to be upside down if you pull the tape with your left hand, a few instruments like flutes and guitars that require you to buy special versions of those instruments if you’re left-handed and the can be more expensive.” Shannon said, “It’s a bit more challenging to write on a whiteboard or chalkboard without smudging,” Helen says, “Left-handed people are often much more able to use both hands for tasks because we have to get used to using our right hands”. So those were some responses from Facebook
I also asked my aunt who is a lefty what some advantages and disadvantages are about being left-handed. She said, “Sometimes you can get out of doing a task like painting a room because right handed people think you are doing it backwards,” and, “If you play tennis you usually have a good backhand”
But all of the disadvantages I’ve discussed so far seem pretty harmless compared to the disadvantages lefties faced centuries ago. Here’s a fun fact: Starting in the 15th century, left-handedness was considered evil, and people used to think that lefties were sickly. As time progressed, left-handed stigmas decreased, but there are people who are alive today who can still remember their elementary school teacher swatting their hand with a ruler in order to stop them from writing with their left hand. Ouch!! Thank goodness that people eventually recognized left-handedness is a completely innocent phenomenon. Now, attitudes have changed dramatically, and a basic internet search shows numerous lists of prominent lefties from all around the world. These lists recognize lefties for their many positive contributions to the world. Some of these gifted and talented people include...
Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, and Leonardo da Vanci
How many left handed people do you know? Do lefties run in your family? If you’re left handed, what are some advantages and disadvantages of being a lefty?
[Interlude]
Thank you for listening to my podcast, Oscar Takes On. If you enjoyed, please subscribe to me on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening and I’ll see you in the next episode! Bye!
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