Walter Benjamin, the German literary critic, essayist, translator and philosopher once said, “All the decisive blows are struck left-handed.”
Lefties. Left-Handers. Southpaws. They will be the same, irrespective of what you call this exceptional group of extraordinary people. Today, the 13th of August is a day dedicated to this unique set of people – the Left-Handers Day.
However, members of this exclusive group will always be odd-men-out, no doubt, as they are a minuscule minority in the world.
The concept of left-handedness seems to have been forgotten by the modern society. Awkwardly designed desks, modern gadgets designed for the right-handed and complicated scissors prove the point. Even the way some books are bound create hassles for the left-handed students.
Being a lefty, I would love to protest against this trend by punching my left hand in the air.
But at least this is better than the unfairness experienced during olden days when a lefty was considered a child of the devil. Being a left-hander could get you convicted for using witchcraft.
Parents used to tie the left wrists of children behind the chairs to discourage the use of left hands. Teachers smacked the wrists of students who used their left hand (thanks to God for not giving me such parents or teachers!).
Fortunately, these superstitions have subsided in the contemporary world. Probably that’s the reason today many famous personalities are lefty.
While surfing through the net on this topic a couple of days ago, I came across many internationally acclaimed left-handers. The list includes Queen Victoria, US President Barack Obama, Big B of Bollywood Amitabh Bachchan, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and Mahatma Gandhi.
The legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci was also left-hander. Some historians believe his left-handedness added to his genius, helping him observe everything from a different perspective.
After noting this quality among such great personalities, I am convinced that in today’s world, the “left hand” has the “upper hand.”
So Happy Left-Handers Day to all lefties in the world, which also includes yours truly!
(Published in The Gulf Today on August 13, 2016)
Lefties. Left-Handers. Southpaws. They will be the same, irrespective of what you call this exceptional group of extraordinary people. Today, the 13th of August is a day dedicated to this unique set of people – the Left-Handers Day.
However, members of this exclusive group will always be odd-men-out, no doubt, as they are a minuscule minority in the world.
The concept of left-handedness seems to have been forgotten by the modern society. Awkwardly designed desks, modern gadgets designed for the right-handed and complicated scissors prove the point. Even the way some books are bound create hassles for the left-handed students.
Being a lefty, I would love to protest against this trend by punching my left hand in the air.
But at least this is better than the unfairness experienced during olden days when a lefty was considered a child of the devil. Being a left-hander could get you convicted for using witchcraft.
Parents used to tie the left wrists of children behind the chairs to discourage the use of left hands. Teachers smacked the wrists of students who used their left hand (thanks to God for not giving me such parents or teachers!).
Fortunately, these superstitions have subsided in the contemporary world. Probably that’s the reason today many famous personalities are lefty.
While surfing through the net on this topic a couple of days ago, I came across many internationally acclaimed left-handers. The list includes Queen Victoria, US President Barack Obama, Big B of Bollywood Amitabh Bachchan, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and Mahatma Gandhi.
The legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci was also left-hander. Some historians believe his left-handedness added to his genius, helping him observe everything from a different perspective.
After noting this quality among such great personalities, I am convinced that in today’s world, the “left hand” has the “upper hand.”
So Happy Left-Handers Day to all lefties in the world, which also includes yours truly!
(Published in The Gulf Today on August 13, 2016)
Awesome article !
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