Monday, November 27, 2006

Pam CrossedHands
Before I start, I'd like to mention that the November 1942 rainfall record has been broken. We're at 11.61. And the month's not even over. And more precipitation on its way. And maybe even snow. If you love endless buckets of rain, this is the best November ever.

A couple weeks ago when I was at Ki's yoga workshop, she said something about being a right hander trapped in the body of a left hander and something about school and nuns not letting you write with your left hand.

I started thinking about it and I'm both-handed. Wikipedia has a whole article on cross-dominance.

I write, eat and do domestic things with my left hand. Domestic meaning ironing, sewing, scissoring, wielding cooking utensils, hair and tooth brushing and holding garden nippers.

When I started guitar I had it strung left handed but my teacher put a stop to that and encouraged me to learn right handed. Could this have contributed to how bad I was at it? Even now if I play air guitar or air violin, I do it left handed.

But sports, which I am also bad at, I do right handed. I throw with my right hand, catch with my right hand (problematic), bat right handed, and hold any kind of racket or paddle in my right hand. In gymnastics I did right handed routines and in yoga my right side is usually a teeny bit stronger. But if I was going to shoot a gun (sports or domestic?), I'd do it with my left hand.

What's really mixed up is that I mouse right handed. When I do Photoshop or Illustrator I do drawing, lassoing or whatever with my right hand. This weekend I got the electronic tablet out thinking it would be easier for me to use my left hand. Wrong. The drawing part was easier but navigating and clicking was awkward. I found myself with the pen in my left hand and the mouse in my right hand trying to coordinate.

I wonder what the lesson is here.