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John Vass | all galleries >> Galleries >> My Backyard > The Bad Hand
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05-Apr-2019

The Bad Hand

Even before people became aware of handedness,
the dominant hand vs. the non-dominant hand, and
how it relates to your tactile world, being left handed was evil.
Being a leftie was somehow excluding you for being on the right-side of God.
This happened in many societies and with many Gods
going back to the dawn of consciousness.
Many recent generations may have gone through parents forcing
a “south-paw” to switch to the other team under duress.
(i.e. Beat the left handedness out of them.)
I know it happened in my family yet one of my siblings didn’t
understand the memo and remained steadfast in his “evil ways”
I on the other hand… think I was “convinced to redeem myself”.
Now we have studies to prove that forcing the issue creates other life altering
issues in those that were coerced to switch hit at such a young age.
I would go into that but it’s a conversation that could
easily get out of hand and best saved for another day.
At least now most people don’t worry about such things
and thankfully this practice has changed.
Lefties have Rights too!




Broken in April Scavenger Hunt
https://forum.pbase.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=48690&sid=e8450f707e2af598b95c8c88467ab871

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comment
LynnH18-Apr-2019 01:00
So true and hits home. My Dad was a leftie who was "converted" to rightie by well-meaning Nuns. It caused him to stutter eventually. I am like Laine, Ambidextrous. I write left handed, but eat, paint, sew. throw, catch. bowl and brush my teeth with either.
Mieke WA Minkjan09-Apr-2019 13:02
thank goodness this practice of force has changed!
wish you a good recovering from this broken hand
Mairéad06-Apr-2019 19:38
In Ireland you would be called a 'ciotóg'. When I was at school, left-handed children were forced to write with their right hand. Thankfully things had changed by the time my son went to school and he happily writes and draws with his left hand, although uses his right hand for most other tasks. He sucked his left thumb as a baby so I suspected he was going to be a
'ciotóg' when he grew up. There is a school of thought that left- handed people are more creative. Hope the hand heals soon.
Tom Munson06-Apr-2019 18:25
It was a different time John. Glad things have changed.
Chris06-Apr-2019 16:31
Walter's story is awful, imagine having to go to school knowing what would happen if you were left handed.
I'm not but my daughter is when writing but plays hockey and other racquet sports right handed.
Hope you're on the mend soon.
Charlene Ambrose06-Apr-2019 05:04
My mom tried to put the pencil in my right hand but I was stubborn and maintained my right to be a lefty! Hope you heal soon. It's good to practice doing things with your non-dominate hand in the meantime.
larose forest photos06-Apr-2019 01:29
Fine shot to accompany your lefty text!! I was forced to go right-handed at a young age, but it has never felt entirely right, if I can say that! V
globalgadabout06-Apr-2019 01:22
good you are ambidextrous if the left hand is currently in distress...odd how 'norms' are established though, so often arbitrarily..
Walter Otto Koenig06-Apr-2019 01:13
I am left handed, but was forced to write with my right hand when I went to school by nuns, priests and other nice people. They had a gentle way of assuring I did by hitting my "bad" left hand with rulers, etc. The result is that now I can write with both hands, but the handwriting looks like it belongs to two different people. For this I would like to thank the Catholic Schools of the City of Cologne. I could not have done it without you!
Gill Kopy06-Apr-2019 00:53
My father was forced to change when he went to school - his writing never recovered :(
Hope you'll be free of the cast soon. Love that quilt !!
carol j. phipps06-Apr-2019 00:33
So sorry for the broken main hand. All I've read and known says that lefties are highly successful and top of their field.
laine06-Apr-2019 00:29
I was born a leftie...nothing wrong with us I say :) However I am equally ambidextrous in most things as is my son, though he's a natural right. I believe without force we can retrain our brains. A for instance as an adult I asked my husbands aunt to teach me to crochet, she said she wouldn't know how to teach a leftie, my response was teach me right then...been doing it that way ever since. I knit right-handed the way my mother taught me, yet use a needle and thread with my left. I never used a computer mouse other than right, I use my knife and fork in the correct way and iron clothes with my right, but if I have to slice bread or cut a cake it's in my left the big knife goes.

Now I want to know if you made that lovely quilt and wish you speedy recovery :))
Neil Marcus05-Apr-2019 23:43
Oh,that's why.... Well you're still handsome, John
1moremile05-Apr-2019 23:30
You've given me a lot to think about, Mr. Vass. JK.
I enjoy the life lessons as much as the photos
which are also well thought out. Nice one, hands down. V.