• It is hard to operate in a world where everything is meant for right-handed people
Image: SHUTTERSTOCK
I have always thought that being left-handed is cool.
I know for a fact that I am not the only one who thought that it was awesome being a “lefty”.
When we were young, there was always that point where we used to try training ourselves to write with the left hand.
In my entire life, I have met two people who can write neatly and operate very well using both hands.
They are referred to as ambidextrous.
These are individuals who can use both their right and left hands in equal measure.
I was in a space where only one guy was left handed, and the way his book was angled when writing was really interesting.
People have different ways of how they place their books and hold pens when they are writing, but that is a conversation for another day.
All of a sudden, he is asked, “How does it feel to be a lefty?”
“It is interestingly different, but it is most definitely hard being a lefty in a right-handed world,” he says.
“It is hard to operate in a world where every single thing is meant for right-handed people.”
I know what you are thinking, and yes, lefties struggle with navigating through their daily lives.
Some way, somehow, there is an obstacle that hinders an activity from taking place, but the funny thing is they manage to make it work.
Lefties often make a statement wherever they are. They represent 10 per cent of the world’s population.
Being a lefty will definitely have people starting a conversation with you and will attract attention wherever you are.
As we engaged, I learnt that a community from the Mt Kenya region refers to the left hand as “mkono wa shetani” (the devil’s hand).
The reason behind this is parents used to scare their children into using their right hand, while they associated the left hand with the devil.
A number of my left-handed contemporaries tell me of how they used to be beaten when they were young and forcibly told to adopt using the right hand.
Being a lefty is determined by genes, random chance or environment.
Prenatal exposure and cultural influences also play a role in determining handedness.
The guy from the space I was in talked about how he and his cousin were referred to as the troublesome ones.
“When glass would break wherever we were standing, we would automatically get blamed for it. We were troublemakers even though we never did anything wrong. We almost always got blamed for things we didn't do,” he said.
“I disliked the fact that I was lefty but when I got to campus, I found it to be pretty dope.”
In some communities, being a lefty is likened to weakness.
To others, it is a curse (laana) and others associate it with witchcraft.
To be honest, some beliefs are so outdated. People don’t request how they want to be born.
It just so happens that we are born and grow exactly how it was intended to be.
I feel like we need to do more for our lefties in the sense of making resources more left-hand friendly.
If it makes any sense.
It is, however, believed that lefties are good at multitasking and are even believed to be smarter, exhibiting higher IQ.
The argument of the lefties being more creative and right-handed individuals being analytical, leaders and good in mathematics, and relating this to the brain, is still something being highly researched and reviewed.
Also, did you know, sinistrophobia is defined as the fear of things on the left side or left-handed people.
Can this be one of the reasons why our African parents used to beat lefties and didn’t know?