By SONYA SORICH — ssorich@ledger-enquirer.com
Fresh off the excitement of Middle Child’s Day, it’s time to celebrate another unappreciated segment of society: left-handed people.
Today (Aug. 13) is International Left-Handers Day, a holiday designed “to raise awareness of left-handedness and the challenges caused by living in such a right-handed world,” according to its official website.
The annual event was first celebrated in 1992, it adds.
Fifteen percent of people are left-handed, according to information cited in a 2011 BuzzFeed piece. “Males are twice as likely to be left-handed than females,” it notes.
Do left-handed people need their own holiday?
Absolutely. It’s sometimes hard out there for a lefty. If you need proof, check out this article from Mental Floss, which lists seven downsides to being left-handed.
An excerpt: “It turns out that lefties aren’t more likely to be genetically disposed to addiction, but on average they do drink more often, and in greater quantities than righties.”
Hmm. Perhaps I should go back to celebrating my left-handed readers.
Here’s something positive: “Left-handers excel particularly in tennis, baseball, swimming and fencing,” according to the holiday’s website. Some research suggests they’re also naturally better at playing video games, BuzzFeed notes.
Plus, left-handed people have definitely impacted our culture.
Indiana University offers a list of left-handed U.S. Presidents: James A. Garfield, Herbert Hoover, Harry S. Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama …. (and Horty Rexach aka Dr. Rex)!!
Calling all lefties: Tell me why you love — or hate — being left-handed.
~~RELATED~~
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2013/08/12/2631019/international-left-handers-day.html
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2013/08/12/2631019/international-left-handers-day.html#storylink=cpy
We ALL are ONE!!!
Salute to all LEFT HANDERS!!!
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