Aug. 13 Is International Left-Handers Day

By Tom Emery

It’s a day to love the lefties and salute the southpaws.

Tuesday, Aug. 13 is International Left-Handers Day, founded in 1976 to celebrate the uniqueness, and challenges, of left-handed people worldwide.

Studies show that approximately ten percent of people are left-handed. Scientists are unsure why some people have a dominant left hand, though there is believed to be a connection between genetics and environment. Some left-handers are found to have more left-handed relatives than average.

Based on brain function, some southpaws proudly declare that “left-handers are the only ones in their right mind.” But being a lefty comes with some difficulties.

“There are a lot of adjustments that left-handers have to make,” said Hannah Crawford, 27, a children’s librarian who is left-handed, “because a lot of things in the world are set up for the 90 percent who are right-handed. It’s just something you have to face when you’re left-handed.”

Many desks and tools are geared more for right-handers than left-handers, and most handshakes are done with the right hand. Even lefty contestants on the hit game show Wheel of Fortune are at a disadvantage when they spin the wheel.

“Driving a car can be difficult for left-handers,” said Crawford, “because the gear shifts are all set on the right side. A lot of scissors are made for right-handers, so I had to learn to hold them a different way. Even the self-checkouts in stores are set up more for right-handers. Tying your shoes isn’t always easy, either.”

Writing instruments pose a special challenge for some lefties. “Holding a pencil was one of the toughest things for me to learn,” remarked Crawford. “I had to try not to smudge the page, if I didn’t hold a pencil or pen the right way.”

But some believe lefties are more artistic and creative than righties, a claim backed up by recent research in the American Journal of Psychology. That study revealed that lefties are better at divergent thinking than righties.

That may explain why Mozart, Michaelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci – who were all left handers – were so gifted.

“Left-handers tend to be good at more creative things, and think outside the box,” remarked Crawford. “They are critical thinkers, and are problem-solvers. Left-handers also grasp the concept of conversations better, and hear things differently.”

Crawford’s statement is supported by recent studies, which reveal that lefties pick up on slowly-changing sounds, like syllables of speech, better than right-handers.

In many cases, particularly in earlier times, left-handed children were forced to use their right hand for writing and activities. The efforts were often misguided, and some adapted better than others.

“That happened to me, mostly with teachers,” recalled Crawford. “But I just couldn’t do it. I stayed left-handed.” She adds that she suffered from depression and anxiety as a result of the efforts to make her right-handed.

Left-handers are found across the world of celebrity. Of the four members of the Beatles, two – Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr – were lefties. Hollywood supercouple Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick are both left-handed, as are actress Julia Roberts and talk-show mega-star Oprah Winfrey.

Tech tycoon Bill Gates, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are other famous southpaws.

Five of the last eight Presidents have been lefties, including Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. Prior to that, southpaws James A. Garfield and Harry Truman served as chief executive.

Two of the three astronauts on Apollo 11, the first lunar landing, were left-handed, including Michael Collins, who remained in the command module.

Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon’s surface behind Neil Armstrong on Apollo 11, was reportedly born a left-hander, but changed to his right hand. Other notable astronaut lefties include Jim Lovell and Wally Schirra.

Left-handed pitching in baseball comes at a premium. Past lefty stars on the mound include Sandy Koufax, Steve Carlton, and Warren Spahn. At the plate, Babe Ruth, another southpaw, is still viewed as the game’s best home run hitter by some.

However, many right-handed baseball players hit lefty, just as numerous right-handed hockey players are left-handed shooters.

While left-handed pitchers are highly sought after, southpaw catchers are a rarity. A lefty catcher has not appeared in a Major League Baseball game since 1989, and left-handed middle infielders are equally scarce.

Six left-handed quarterbacks are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including Steve Young, Ken Stabler, and Boomer Esiason. Left-handed pro golfers have captured ten major championships since 2003.

Though daily life may be awkward at times, left-handers always find a way to make it work. “You just have to adjust to what life throws at you,” said Crawford, “and go with it.”

Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville, Ill. He may be reached at 217-710-8392 or [email protected].