Lefties--where are you

[Kano]

I've dated a couple lefties, but I'm dating a right-hander now. After 8 months, he is FINALLY remembering where to seat the two of us in relation to one another at a restaurant so we don't elbow each other.

Only eight months?

I've been married to my right-hander for over thirty years now and he has NEVER figured that out!

I figure we lefties are generally more flexible and more adaptable -- we have to be to survive!

Karen in Boise

[MommyBird]

My husband and I are both righties with lefty tendencies. We are both left-eye dominant. I am left leg dominant which was great for dancing. I would learn a move on the right and then it would be an easy transition to the left.

We have two lefty sons. Neither is a complete lefty. It is funny to see what they choose to do lefty and what they choose to do righty. It is not the same. For example, one plays pool lefty and the other righty. They are both lefties in archery and righties in tennis. Dad is the only family member who throws a frisbee lefty.

Luckily our guitar playing son plays righty and we have not had to hunt down lefty versions. He plays bass, acoustic, electric and the mandolin.

It can be pretty confusing at our house.

[Crankin]

This is interesting. My DH was a lefty and was forced to switch by mean old lady teachers in inner city Philadelphia. His mom is a lefty. One of my kids is a lefty, but as a musician, he plays guitar righty and uses a mouse with his right hand. He played baseball as a lefty, though. As a kid, he had horrible problems with fine motor coordination, as do I. He still can barely zipper and button, as an adult (like me). However, he is a good athlete, cyclist, runner, kayaker. My other son is a righty, but as a young teen was into archery and we found out he was left eyed, thus shot the bow as a lefty. He is extremely coordinated and mechanical, thankfully, not inheriting my issues.

[Skierchickie]

Hmmm - it never occurred to me that my credit card machine issues were a lefty/righty thing. I do have trouble, though. What is the problem, anyway? That the strip is on the side of the card facing away from you when you stand with it in your left hand, so you can't see whether it's up or down? I can't quite put my finger on it. I do know that I bumble around with those, anyway.

[DebW]

Hmmm - it never occurred to me that my credit card machine issues were a lefty/righty thing. I do have trouble, though. What is the problem, anyway? That the strip is on the side of the card facing away from you when you stand with it in your left hand, so you can't see whether it's up or down? I can't quite put my finger on it. I do know that I bumble around with those, anyway.

The problem is trying to sign your name on the electronic pad when there is no place to rest your hand. And sometimes the pad doesn't register your signature properly because your hand drags across the writing area while you sign. I also have problems with some ATM machines when the keypad is on the right side. If you stand centered so you can see the screen, then it is extremely awkward to use the keypad with your left hand.

[Catrin]

This is interesting - I've always considered myself right handed, that is what I write, eat, and do fine needlework with. I drink with my left hand, mount the bike from the left side - I CANNOT mount from the right side for some odd reason, and my left foot is the one that hits the ground first. Left arm the strongest, right leg dominant. Hmmm, my body is just confused

[DebW]

I thought everyone mounted a bike from the left side, and the chain is on the right so you avoid the grease that way. I thought it went back to mounting horses from the left. Does anyone mount a bike from the right?

[Serendipity]

Another lefty here!
Write with my left hand, do some things with my right and others I can do with either hand.....!
I think a lot of the ambidexterity comes from adapting to a 'right-handed' world. So many utensils are designed for right handed people: can openers, sewing machines, addings machines (in the days when there were adding machines ) and so on and so on.
But let's not forget: left handed people are the only ones in their right minds!

[VeloVT]

I'm a lefty. My left eye is dominant, but I'm right-footed and fairly ambidextrous at most things other than writing. If I'm drawing or painting on a large scale, I sometimes find myself using my right hand. I have a hard time on the tennis court sticking to one forehand side and one backhand side!