Monday, April 17, 2023

Sinistra Sinister

Fun fact from my prep school days of Latin ('it'll help you on the English SATs'-everyone), a left-handed person is a sinistra utebatur (almost rhymes with Studebaker, which also no longer exists). 

I've often very quietly theorized that it was a short walk from sinistra in Latin to sinister in English but in light of the southpaw leanings of the love of my life, my theorizing rarely exceeds the decibel threshold of a gnat farting.

Our two children are right-handed, though when he played soccer, our son's dominant leg was his left one. It seemed to me he used the right one basically to help him stand up, but while I love the beautiful game I don't pretend to understand its intricacies and nuances. 

My parents were both right-handed. I have siblings who are left-handed and I think my wife does as well. Not sure there's a method to any of how that works out but I know from forty-six years of life together, things like scissors, ball-point pens, can-openers, and a wide variety of tools are NOT designed with left-handed people in mind.

Here's a highly-readable summary of areas where the struggle is real

And to quote a famous lefty, Paul Simon, "I been Norman Mailered, Maxwell Taylored. I been John O'Hara'd, McNamara'd. I been Rolling Stoned and Beatled 'til I'm blind. I been Ayn Randed, nearly branded a Communist, 'cause I'm left-handed.
But That's the hand I use; well, never mind."
-bill kenny

   

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