I start writing based on any one of our emotions. Today’s is anger and frustration. So brace yourselves; it’s on one of the most common superstitions of our country : (drum roll) ta-da.. left-handedness. I am in my native attending one of the functions. As pure hearted as I am (sorry sounds a bit narcissistic), I was serving the guests an afternoon meal when an orthodox aunty suggested me that it’s impure to serve with left hand and the Naivedhya oota (God blessed food) needs to be served with right hand. I explained to her that my right hand shivers if I hold the ladle in my right hand for longer but she gave me ‘n’ number of non-required advices. Being the kind of sensitive lady, I cried a bit thinking “Oh God!! Either give these people some wisdom or send them to hell ” . Then I thought of an old Lord Buddha story that you are the one who gets hurt if you punch the rock/wall. Hence I acted upon that and thought of sharing it with you lovelies.

I am born left-handed. Neither my father (God bless his soul) nor my mother tried to change my dominant hand after I developed the dexterity. I love them for that because I have heard many cases where the parents have forced their left-handed child to write with the right hand as the other is inauspicious. My parents didn’t even force me to eat with right hand. There is common belief that you wash your bum with left hand , so it is considered to be dirty. There are many folklores which believed that left-handedness is evil and lefties were killed due to the same reason. No wonder our population is less.

The survival of a south paw in the right dominant world is so difficult. Scissors are designed differently, the drafters used for mechanical drawings, the knives etc. You might think I will talk next about the famous left handed celebrities and how our IQ is more than yours but no. Just wanted to highlight on the everyday problems we face and the stare in the restaurants when we eat pasta, upma with our dominant hand. My mother alleviated my problem by teaching me to hand eat with right so that I face a less ridicule. Fun part in school is that you will always get a left seat else there will be constant elbow bumping :). As you age, when you deep clean your house and the left hand swells or numbs, you are not sure whether it is a heart attack condition or the normal hand aches.

There is no scientific or empirical evidence on the fact that left-handed people die sooner. Maybe using the right handed devices, they do. On the lighter part, I like the attention I get while writing from all ages asking “Are you lefty?” till now and the kind comments saying ,”You are lucky/rare!!”. I still remember our 10th grade teacher Geetha Raj ma’am saying “Left handed people have the ability to use both sides of the brain, so they are both analytical and creative” . One inspirational statement stays with you throughout lifetime. Its like watering plants. Wow.. writing is so therapeutic. My emotions toggled to happiness now. And to all the remnant old aunties/uncles who think ill about left hand , I wish that God grants you some brain in the prawn head of yours. See you all soon 🙂