I identify myself as a lefty, but reading this thread was very interesting, because many of us who write with our left hands do lots of other things right-handed.
So, if you are a righty, are there things you do with your left hand? I’m curious about the kinds of things included on the lefties’ lists. Some of our stuff is no doubt cultural – I knit and crochet right-handed because I was taught by right-handers. But other things are clearly a matter of natural handedness (or footedness).
I’ve taught myself to use a mouse/trackball with my left hand. I eat with either/both hands. I can write with my left hand, but it looks like I’m third grade. I’ll drive with just my left hand.
I play pool left handed, probably has something to do with my dad(who’s a lefty) teaching me when I was young. Almost all other activities I predominately use my right hand.
I’m right-handed, but can write quite legibly (if slowly) with my left hand. I also often eat with my left hand, especially if I’m mousing with my right hand at the same time, or if my food requires cutting (hold fork in my left hand, knife in my right hand, don’t switch fork to right hand to transport food to mouth).
When it comes to romance where no one is involved but me (ahem), I’m left-handed.
I think the lefties doing lots of stuff right-handed (I’m one of them) is due to the hegemony of the evil righties. It’s their world, we’re just living in it. If a rightie does something left-handed, they’re either mockingly magnanimous or just plain kinky and weird.
I can barely do anything complicated with my left hand. I pick things up and hit things with my left hand, but that’s about it. Catching something with my left hand? Probably 50/50. I’m trying to train myself to stop switching hands with my knife and fork (no particular reason, just to see) and I’m actually having trouble managing it.
I always assumed it was a combination of genetics and training, but does anyone know whether one is more important than the other when it comes to dominant hand use? I know about those stories of kids being “trained” to use their right hand instead of their left, but that’s all I know.
When I was about 13, some of the kids in my neighborhood decided we were going to form a band. One kid played a little guitar, and another had a few of his dad’s old drums in his attic. We were halfway there.
It was decided that I would play bass. Ok, what the hell – I got a cheap, second-hand bass, holed myself up in my room for a few days and learned a few tunes. The following weekend, we all got together for our first practice.
It was then I was told I was holding it upside down.
Too late, though. Lefty had already become the way I was comfortable playing.
Same here. When I first had a watch as a little kid, I figured:
“I’m right handed, so it goes on my right wrist.”
Why would I think different? Too ingrained in me now to change.
And Hal, you didn’t notice you were holding it up-side down when learning notes? I mean…the notes would be wrong if you just held the “top” string at this spot, since your top string is really the bottom one.
I can use most tools left handed, including light power tools (a drill, for instance). Comes in handy when my right hand or arm won’t fit easily into the workspace.
I am right-handed but it is ten times easier for me to blow dry my hair with the dryer in my left hand. When I switch sides and put the blower in my right, I end up burning my ear, my hair, my thumb and my cheek. I just don’t get it.
I am predominately right handed but I bat left handed in baseball, play hockey left handed, golf left handed, and play croquet left handed. (not that I really play any of these sports all that much anymore)