The Troubles Of Being Left-Handed – Jessie Jordan
In modern society, the greatest progressions we have seen is in equality. We have seen many minority groups have their views and beliefs shared and respected, however, there is one minority that has been ostracised majorly throughout the course of history, a minority of the minorities: lefties.
You might think I am exaggerating, and I assure that if you do, you are most probably right-handed. The world has revolved around the lucky ones who simply prefer to use their right hand for most day to day activities. One such example, as simple as it is, is writing. People who write right-handed are usually able to keep their handwriting neat and free from smudges (admittingly this is a generalisation but is more often than not true), whilst those who suffer in silence scrub the backs of their hands from the pen ink that seems to prefer the left hand than the paper itself. The rare 7% of us must write with wrists at awkward angles, just so our writing is legible. Whilst doing that, we are then faced with two issues: smudged writing, and wrist cramp.
Another small bane of my life, and assumedly for other lefties too, is merely drinking out of mugs. Mugs are often designed with their print visible only when being held in the right hand, so in order to show off the coolest design of my latest mug, I must either adapt to drinking with my right hand; scour the internet for left-handed mugs, or admit defeat and hide the design by drinking with my left hand, thus making me appear as exciting as flour. Furthermore, the shame of being left-handed extends further than the crockery, and onto the sports pitch. There is no shame like approaching the wicket to bat in cricket, and the opposition calling “leftie”, causing all those fielding to move around, just because your hits are in a completely different direction. It is even worse when you fail to hit the ball, and the whole team’s movement amounts to nothing.
The complaints do not stop there either, as it is often the one thing we love, that hurts us most. In my case, its most certainly stationary, and the idea of writing in a binder is merely an ideology, whilst right-handed people are unaware of the privilege they have. Furthermore, the awkward scissors situation, where the three left-handed people in class fight for the sole pair that caters their individuality and uniqueness. The struggle of the leftie is real and is one that must be endured throughout the right-handed world. One would assume with the ever-growing development of technology, that it is possible to create something as minute as a left-handed hockey stick, however, this is merely not the case, so us lefties must continue to troop on with our never-ending battle.
Perhaps I am being slightly hyperbolic, however, it cannot be denied that even the term “right-handed” suggests a sense of seniority over the left handed people, with the term “right” implying that they are, in fact, right, and we are wrong for being stronger on the left side of our body. This extends even further into other languages, where in Italian the word left is “sinistra”, assimilating left handedness with sinister and other-worldly descriptions, further casting us aside, estranging us into becoming outcasts in the most minor of aspects- such as cutting a piece of paper.
There is, however, one thing about being left-handed that is NEVER EVER acceptable, which is to eat with your cutlery left-handed.
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