It’s Left-Hander’s Day: Celebrating Uniqueness and Differences

International Left-Hander’s Day falls on the August 13 as designated by Lefthanders International. It was first observed in the year 1976 to promote awareness of the inconveniences faced by left-handers in a predominantly right-handed world. Roughly ten percent of the world’s population are left handed people who in today’s society adapt to use tools and objects made for righties. The inventors apparently made those things forgetting the fact that not all people in this world are right-handed. One may look at right-handers and lefties as more-or-less the same, but left-handed people still face problems on a daily basis. The plight of lefties’ struggle living in a world of right-handed majority is real.

Lefties most oftenly experience worse time in schools as most desks are biased toward right-handed people forcing lefties to contort themselves uncomfortably, suffer neck cramps to take note in our left-to-right writing words in awkward position. Another place where lefties encounter problems is that when the meal begins, a lefty inevitably hit his friend sitting on his left side with bumping elbows and sometimes unconsciously drink someone else’s drink that served for those seated on his left side which makes his meal time embarrassing. Lefties also find in a meticulous situation of rearranging the cutlery to suit the way they dine since the table arrangement is made for the advantage of the righties.

Watch manufacturers placed all winding dials on the right portion of the watch. They have assumed that everyone uses the right hand for writing. Lefties when strap watch on the right hand and by the time they have to wind up their watch, they have no choice but to remove the watch from the right wrist, and wearing on the left hand is obviously distracted in their work.

Zippers of a trouser are placed for the easy convenience of right-handed folks by placing the covering fabric in zippers on the left hand side. Lefties for that matter to open or close zippers need to train their right hand.

Scissors are designed for the benefit of righties which aren’t so friendly to left-handed people. Tin openers are the household stuff that causes frustration to left-handed people, because most, if not all, tin openers are designed for right-handed folks. Not only these, lefties finds hard to find musical instruments designed for them as most instruments are designed to favour the right handed individuals. Left-handed people need to request for a customized one to suit their needs. Medical equipments, tools and diagnostics machines, most if not all, have designed with right-handers in mind making life difficult to use or practice for lefty medical students/workers.

Tape measures indicate number unfavourable to the lefties. Left-handed people are compelled to read the numbers upside down if they use it according to how they supposed to use.

Again, shooting guns are for the convenience of right handed people and for that matter, left handed ones experience the scary thing of seeing empty shells coming out of the side chamber of the gun flying past his face. This problem is encountered mostly by left-handed armed personnel.

We use dao as daily tool yet for lefties honing and cutting is hassle as the design of a dao’s metal blade is such to whet from right side and handle with right-hand but lefties cutting from right side with left hand is so challenging.

A new set of problems arises when we use computers as the mouse is set up on the right side. Even if we extend the cable to get it on the left side of the desk, our mouse is still indented for the right hander’s thumb.

The world is gradually riding towards most convenient and easy method of cash withdrawal from the nearest ATM; card-based payment and paying cash slowly becomes a thing of the past. But unfortunately, for the lefties, these ideas are not completely good or friendly since cash dispensing and credit card payment machines are still designed for the dominant righties. Card need to be swiped on the right hand side, thereby causing an awkward situation for the lefty shopper.

Some tradition and social norms connotes negative of exchanging things or handing out money, and eating with our left hand. Once my school teacher refused to accept my application handing with my left hand insisting to give with right hand.

As lefties we goes through many difficulties and aggravations that only us can understand, so, August 13 day is made specified to tell the world that we are right to be left-handed and how unique we are of being left-handed. We cann’t train ourselves to be right-handed. Though being left-handed is frustrating, the only thing we can do is to power through it all, and be the best lefty we can be.

To my fellow lefthanders a Happy Left-Hander’s Day!

Bausha (Paüwüng) Buchem
Agri Ward, Longleng