~ Being a left-handed typist in a right-handed world ~
Approximately 10% of the population is left-handed, and I'm one of them. There is a distinct disadvantage to being left-handed in a right-hand-dominant world when it comes to hand tools, kitchen gadgets, notebooks and manual parking meters (it's true...try it yourself...the only comfortable way to turn the dial is with your RIGHT hand!). But I have always had a feeling (and I've seen hints of this from others) that left-handers had an advantage when it came to typing, and now I finally found a fun statistic to back this up:
Using a standard keyboard, and typing with both hands, the number of words in English that are typed solely with the left hand is 1,447. Only 187 words are typed solely with the right hand. The longest English word written only with the left hand is "stewardesses".
Left-handed "Hit" Parade:
Just look at some of the famous (and brilliant people) who have been left-handed. It also seems that left-handedness is strong in the arts and other creative talents. Here's a short list of some of my historic favorites:
Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Jefferson
Leonard da Vinci
Michelangelo
Rembrandt
Thomas Edison
Albert Einstein
Then there are the politicians: It's surprising how many presidents, vice-presidents and recent presidential candidates are left-handed:
Current president Barak Obama, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Gerald Ford, James A.Garfield, Herbert Hoover, Thomas Jefferson, John Kerry, H. Ross Perot, Ronald Reagan, Nelson D. Rockefeller and Harry S. Truman.
Then there are these famous politicians:
Julius Caesar, F.W. de Klerk, Benjamin Netanyahu, Tiberius and Napoleon Bonaparte.
Some musicians who are left-handed (I'm a musician myself):
Ludwig van Beethoven, David Bowie, Natalie Cole , Phil Collins, Art Garfunkel, Judy Garland, Jimi Hendrix, Faith Hill, Paul McCartney, George Michael, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Paul Simon and Ringo Starr.
Actors who are left-handed:
Tim Allen, Albert Brooks, Pierce Brosnan, George Burns, Drew Carey, Charlie Chaplin, Tom Cruise, Robert DeNiro, Richard Dreyfuss, Greta Garbo, Whoopi Goldberg, Rex Harrison, Goldie Hawn, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Lisa Kudrow, Shirley MacLaine, Steve McQueen, Anthony Perkins, Richard Pryor, Keanu Reeves, Julia Roberts, Jerry Seinfeld, Christian Slater, Jon Stewart, Ben Stiller, Emma Thompson, Dick Van Dyke, Bruce Willis, and Oprah Winfrey.
Other notable persons:
Journalist Ted Koppel, cartoonist Matt Groenig (creator of "The Simpsons"), Boy Scouts founder Lord Baden-Powell, scientist Linus Pauling, astronaut Wally Schirra, mime Marcel Marceau
~ More interesting tidbits ~
I found another interesting statistic: It is said that in the United Kingdom (UK) around 11% of men and women aged 15-24 are now left-handed, compared to just 3% in the 55-64 age group! I'm guessing this statistic would also hold true for the USA, so that means I really AM a minority, as I fall in that 3% group!
The maligned left-hander around the world:
You may have heard about the Latin word sinistra meaning "left" (and our English word derived from that of sinister; hence giving left-handedness a negative connotation), but Latin isn't the only language where lefties don't fare too well.
I'm of Irish descent so this tidbit caught my eye: Ciotóg is an Irish word used to describe left-handed people, which also means 'strange person.' **SIGH**
~The left-handed physician~
I've noticed through my medical career that there seem to be a lot of left-handed physicians. They start out in medical school being taught to do everything right handed, and virtually no accommodation is made for them. Take a look at this article (from the "British Medical Journal"). I found about a plea for changes in medical school training.
~ Left-handed products ~
I'm always on the lookout for left-handed products, and I came across this company called"Anything Left-Handed," which has been in business since 1968. They have a fun Left-Handed Club you can join for free and get their free e-newsletter with reduced-price and offers on new products and products to test.
I recently bought a set of left-handed knives through them and I absolutely love them! First time in my life I've been able to cut food without losing knuckles, ending up with jagged cheese, bread, etc. I also just tried a new product (which I now see I can buy in the USA) which is a Uniball pen that dries instantly...no more smearing of my writing! Wonderful! And I got a free pair of left-handed scissors as part of my purchase.
If you want to buy any of their products, they are based in the United Kingdom, but they ship worldwide, and their shipping cost to the USA is very reasonable. You might check them out at the link below and to the left (of course):
