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Sun. Dec 01, 2002

Small Sinistral Society

Small Sinistral Society – (via Heather) On the Other Hand: “I am part of an unrecognized minority. A century ago, I would have been considered insane, evil, or possessed. It is painful, impossible, or possibly deadly for me to use some products designed for most people. If you have not already figured it out, I am one of the ten percent of the people in the world who is left-handed.”

Preach on, brother. Thomas S. Dedham covers most of the common afflictions; utensils and tools with grips designed for the right handed, from scissors to chain saws; the elbow bumping from eating next to a right handed person; even the very school desks at which we were educated.

And it’s not just a matter of inconvenience: “Also, a large number of left-handers die each year from using right-handed products. One of the most dangerous is the power saw [...] Contrary to popular belief, left-handed people are not clumsy; they just are not fully adapted to the right-handed world.”

I would argue we’ve had no choice (despite the wide array of specialized lefty products). The adapting occurs during your youth, before you can afford left handed scissors or your own school desk. For me, my leftism is limited to writing and eating. I bat right handed, throw right handed, golf right handed, and play the only three chords I know on the guitar right handed. I never really saw any of them as a matter of choice, not when presented with a right handed baseball glove, or set of golf clubs, or even a guitar. The predominant societal norm (stores filled with nothing but right handed baseball gloves and guitars) was imposed upon my delicate youth.

Clearly, I was oppressed. I deserve compensation, as do my leftist brothers and sisters. Left on! Don’t scoff, you may be more left handed than you think.

But seriously, I have risen above these imposed limitations. I can now buy my own left handed scissors, and delight in giving them to my right handed companions … “What the heck is wrong with these things, they hurt, the grip is all wrong!”

Yes, it is, I say with a smile. Imagine a lifetime of that.