[Dixielandjazz] Sinister matters

Don Ingle dingle at baldwin-net.com
Wed Sep 10 22:56:22 PDT 2003


As a lefty -- physical -- not political -- I am a right brainer. I have a
dominant left eye, left-handed writing (being a coryfister) a stronger left
side stride -- always started out on my left leg when marching without any
urging from the cadre.
As a southpaw I have had the usual discrimination from a right-handed world,
but this is an old story. The Latins, those paragons of fair fights -- for
the lions -- didn't understand lefties, and called them sinistrius -  left
siders.. We may have been the first minority to be discriminated against.
Because of that Latin term, we were considered sinister. That bad mouthing
continued over the ages, with terms like "left-handed compliment"
(insincere) common.
There was a time when teachers forced lefties to write with their right
hands - thus screwing up the minds of many lefties.
But the number of left handed people in the population is going up
percentage wise.
Just look at many TV shows, and watch the actors when they are called on to
write or use a hand in a significant way, and you will see a high percentage
using left mitts.
Some of these thespian southpaws are indeed lefties-- many even in the
political sense.
Slowly but surely we coryfisters are gaining. Comes the revolution, some of
you righties may hope that we have poor memories for revenge. You may find
yourself having to use tools that just hurt your hands to use -- and we may
be smiling big time!
Don (I play golf right-handed just to confuse the Sassenach!) Ingle
And now I lift a wee dram of Usquebaugh - with my left hand of course.
Slainte!







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