I first remember feeling Left Hand Rage, a term I made up, about 15 or more years ago to describe the plight of a right-handed mom who is tired of dealing with buyers and manufacturers who fail to realize the statistical increase in left handers. Back then I only had 3 children and 2 were left-handed, now I have five and 3 are left-handed. I am a right-handed and so is my husband. People always asked me if I was left-handed because I wear my watch on my right hand and I am ambidextrous in a few things so maybe I do share some responsibility. My parents never switched me, I do know that.
The first time I remember really feeling left-handed rage was when I was searching for a tee ball mitt for my daughter. I hadn’t waited too late, in fact the stores were overstocked. I went from store to store that day, and every one I went to did not have any gloves for left handers. I mean there were hundreds of gloves for kids that were right-handed but the left-handed kids were out of luck. After going through countless stores, I walked into Dick’s Sporting Goods. I headed straight to the wall of gloves that was full to the ceiling and started my search with hope and faith that there had to be one left hander’s glove among the hundreds of gloves. As I started to get further and further through the assorted gloves finding nothing but right-handed gloves, the stress of the day got to me. I mean who were these stores employing as buyers and market strategists? Did they realize that the number of left-handed children was increasing each year? What trends and statistics were these buyers looking at when ordering gloves? If it was the manufacturer that just shipped 1 lefty glove with every 2 dozen or so right-handed mitts, what were they thinking?
Now over ¾ of the way through the gloves I was losing faith, my temper and time. That was when it hit full force and if you have ever seen the movie, Mommy Dearest, well my next actions mirrored the wire hanger scene. Instead of pulling the closet doors open looking for a wire hanger, I attacked the assortment of gloves looking for a lefty with the same tenacity, insanity and rage. Going through the last ¼ of their supply, I grabbed each glove and every time I saw it was a righty, they hit the floor. “Okay Dicks, let’s see just how many right-handed gloves you have in this store! Right handed, right-handed, right-handed, right-handed,riiiiight haaannded, where are the left-handed gloves?”
By this time I had a pile of right-handed mitts beside me and was a Mama Bear with left-handed rage to be reckoned with. The sales person finally came over and asked if he could help. I don’t think we need to go into my answer, but you can rest assured it was very Joan Crawford. I think the scene ended with him helping me through the last few gloves that were not suprisingly all righty. After giving them my 2 cents and more, I left having to order a glove because there were none to be found.
Now, do you think things have changed in more than a decade? Let me answer that by letting you know after recently have searched high and low for a glove for my 4-year-old left-handed tee ball player; nope, not a thing! In fact in the size he needed not one, not even in pink!!! Left handed kids everywhere are discriminated. I mean isn’t it bad enough they live in a right-handed world, but could we at least acknowledge the statistical increase of left handers and order them some darn gloves? Could we give left handers of this world just a little respect? Is that just too much to ask? While they’re at it they could also stock up on size xxs baseball pants.
Oh and just remember parents, never try to change your child’s handedness. A left-handed child is left-handed because the right side of their brain is dominant. I will leave you with some facts about lefties.
It has been observed that about 66% of American presidents in the last 30 years have been left-handed. The list includes James A. Garfield, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan (switched to right hand for writing in school; perhaps ambidextrous), George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. In the 1992, 1996, and 2008 presidential elections, all major candidates were left-handed: H.W. Bush, Clinton, and Perot; Clinton, Dole, and Perot; McCain and Obama respectively.
According to experts, left-handed individuals are oriented to be more independent since they have to adjust in a world that is not made for them. Left-handed people are slightly more resistant to social pressures, and tend to have more of an independent streak.
Lefties are quick thinkers, studies show that left-handed people are “exceptional.” A study conducted in Australia revealed that they earn more money and also they think more quickly when playing physical sports or computer games.
Some more famous lefties include:
1.Alexander the great – Military genius
2.Julius Caesar – Military genius
3.Charlemagne – Military genius
4.Napoleon Bonaparte – Military genius
5.Benjamin Franklin – Among the US founding fathers, A renowned polymath
6.Michaelangelo – Artistic genius
7.Leonardo Da Vinci – Genius at almost everything
8.Raphael – Artistic genius
9.Pele, Maradona, Messi – Top three greatest footballers ever
10.Albert Einstein – Scientific genius
11.Sir Isaac Newton – Scientific genius
12.Bill gates – Microsoft founder
13.Mark Twain – Literary genius
14.Ludwig Van Beethoven – Musical genius
15.Pablo Picasso – Artistic genius
