Day 6 :: Left is not right

We were pleasantly surprised when V's first born turned out to be left handed. Both parents being right handed, we were wondering how D turned out a lefty. We later learned that one of my cousin and a niece are lefties too.

Aarnavi is also lefty. Her gross and fine motor skills hinted that she would turn out one, but they say kids are ambidextrous till they turn two. She is well after 2 now and is definitely a lefty. Hardcore one at that. She even eats with her left hand. Now that she has turned out one of the 'minority' population, she is met with surprise, shock, excitement, and I am sure some people have even cringed.

I had not realised this until now. But left handed people do have to face some disgusting truths living among the right handed ones. First and foremost, people think they are born abnormal. They are perceived to be born with deformity, one that needs to be 'corrected' at the right age.

This particular incident took place when I was carrying Aarnavi. The neighbours at my laws place have a daughter who is, (I now think, was) left handed. When the topic arose, her mother told me they are steering her from being wrong handed to right handed. And how? By hitting her left hand when she used for eating/ shaking hands etc. By discouraging her and blaming her for using her dominant hand. I was dumbfound! Obviously no child deserves that. I tried to explain whatever little knowledge I had had on the subject. And I am sure it fell on deaf ears. They spoke as if some spirit had resided in their daughter! Never again did I have the courage to ask.

A friend shared this link and although it is funny, it does speak about the most cliched problems that lefties face. Oh yes, I hated sitting next to a lefty at exams or even in class for there would be elbow battles unless we swapped places! Aarnavi's gonna be at the receiving end, I know.

Recently when I was at my hometown, we got to visit temples. And everywhere, Aarnavi was extending her left hand for the prasad. I wonder who says right is  superior to left?! For her, and for every lefty, that is the dominant hand and thereby the superiority.
They would do the typical clicking of their tongues and make her extend her right hand. When I mentioned that she is left handed, they said "but yes, prasad is to be taken by the right hand only." I wanted to fight but realising the futility of it all, kept mum.

I met the lefty-hating neighbours too. And they were shocked to learn that Aarnavi was one among those possessed ... :D I did not encourage any further talks on the matter, rather mentioned quite haughtily that left handed people are far more intelligent than right handed ones. :P ;)

I encourage Aarnavi to use her hand as she wishes. I did not try to avert her from eating out of her left hand. Yes, I am wondering how I would teach her to write from my right and her left. I am wondering if she wants to crochet, or learn guitar, or violin, how will she manage. But then I think of thousands of other lefties who have made it. I am confident that she will too!