Every day, we are raised to believe in the same psychology, principles, even as far as the same logic. Left is wrong. Right is best. Left is different. And as when the stigmatized descend upon our earth, they are shunned, discriminated, blocked. From society and pursuing their dreams. But I believe in a change. And as a part of this small but special community myself, we may be left-handed, but it’s right to remove the label.
In a family chock-full of right-handers, I was always the black sheep. Years have passed, and my stance never changed. But what did was the environment around me. Since birth, I was the subject of succumbing to society’s norms. And believe me, it got worse.
I was being trained to be right-handed. It was like cleansing, trying to wash out the ‘left’ in me and replacing it with the ‘right’. I was given right-handed equipment, appliances, furniture- the list goes on. Spiral notebooks. Three-ringed binders. Ink all over my hands. It was torture. But soon enough, as all stories go, there was a twist. A saving grace. In the form of my grandmother.
My grandmother was very intuitive, like my mother, whom she also took a liking for. Even when she was younger, she never gave in to the ostracism and stigma, despite herself and my grandfather being right-handed. And when I was 5, she changed my life.
She saw the potential in me. She knew I was fully left-handed, and instead of being another relative to shun me, she became the first not only to accept, but believe in me. She taught me an invaluable lesson that day: I’m different. She told me to embrace it, breathe it, live the difference.
The world has certainly changed since then, as well as mine. Particularly my confidence. I learned to accept my differences and to strive forward instead of dwelling in the past. And here I am, passing this message, to all metaphorical left- handers out there. Every single one of you.
You’re different, special in your own ways. And of course, never alone, even though you may feel it. In every corner of the world, someone’s there, experiencing the same problems, trying to stand up for themselves. So be the best you can. So what if no one cares? Show them what you really can do. A change will come, sooner or later. So embrace your label. Embrace your left-handedness.