Only 10% of the world's population is left handed and I am proud to say I am among the few! Being left handed is genetic and there is an obscene amount of left handed people in my immediate family so I never felt "left" out. (Ha!) Growing up as a lefty, there were a few learning curves and hurdles I had to jump to learn to fit into this world that is seemingly designed for right handed folks. Read on for some challenges we leftys face that you may not be aware of as a right handed person.

Among the first challenges I faced as a lefty was learning to write. I recall my teachers not even being able to explain to me how to properly grip my pencil and angle my hand so that it didn't drag across the paper. Eventually, all leftys learn to adapt and overcome, although we never get to write with the "good" gel pens, lest we smear everything we're writing. If you ever notice that most leftys tend to have pretty terrible handwriting, it's because of the awkward way we have to hold our pens so our ink doesn't smear!

Another unique challenge I had to overcome as a child was learning to tie my shoes. My right handed mother for the life of her could not figure out how to explain to her left handed child how to nail this basic life task. Luckily for all of us, my father is also a lefty and he took over the task of teaching me. I still tie my shoes with bunny ears at the age of 27. It's been working out for me.

Sitting down at the dinner table is honestly the biggest issue I face on a regular basis as a left handed adult. In order to eat comfortably, I have to sit on a corner or the end, so that no one is seated directly to my left, otherwise you wind up bumping elbows with the person who is using their right hand to eat. Going out to eat with my family is a conundrum every time because so many of us are left handed, we either all have to sit on the same side of the table together, or we ALL need the opposite corner seats from each other.

More random lefty challenges include (but are not limited to!), throwing and catching a ball, playing instruments, the time I thought I was going to learn to crochet, shaking people's hands, cooking at the stove, cutting with scissors, using a knife, zippers, scouting out the one and only left handed desk in a crowded lecture hall, and lastly... pens that are chained to the desk. WHY is it that they're always chained to the right side, and not the middle?!!

In all seriousness, although being a lefty in a world made for right handed normies is an interesting challenge, I love being left handed. I've always felt like it made me unique and I wouldn't switch if I could! I sincerely hope my infant son turns out to be left handed like his mama so that I can show him all the tips and tricks to surviving the right handed world as a left handed individual.

Are you a proud southpaw? Hit us up on our socials with a left handed thumbs up! 👍