When Meg monster was growing up I never thought about the fact that she was left handed. My brother is left handed so it just seemed like another distinct quality like blue eyes versus brown.

Maybe I should have been more attentive. I never made any special accommodations for her and really never thought about how difficult it must be to live in a right-handed world.

Her left-handedness was something that we never really discussed. Of course there were times that it was addressed. When sitting in a restaurant booth you didn’t want to be on her left or else you would continually hit elbows. I also made sure we purchased left handed scissors for her school box, but I never made sure we had them in the house. And when she played softball one year, I did search everywhere for an affordable left handed glove.

I liked the fact that she was different. Her father (a tennis player in college) was excited that she was a lefty because he knew she would be a star tennis player. It has something to do with the way the ball comes off a left-hander’s racquet. Unfortunately he lived in another state and I never got around to signing her up for those lessons.

It’s strange to think that in recent history lefties were considered servants of the devil. And up until a few decades ago Japanese men could sue for divorce based on having a left-handed wife. Even today, Muslims have rules against using the left hand for many tasks.

I’ve read that lefties are more accident prone. But other than the two times she crushed her thumb in sliding glass doors when she was three, I never noticed any issues. Of course I have learned through the Internet that she is more likely to loose a finger in a power tool accident and I know for a fact that her “dude-guy” gets nervous when she chops with a knife.

(Then again I have several ex-husbands that get nervous when I have access to knives.)

Studies claim that 13 out of 100 humans are left handed. Out of that number nine will be left-handed and gay and three will be left-handed, gay and missing a limb. Bless their hearts.

I like the left-hand path. I think those who lean to the left embrace individualism, creativity and free thought. Maybe that’s why I never thought of Megmonster’s plight as being anything but her individual style.

So next August 13, I hope to make up for all the years I ignored her plight and celebrate Left-Handers Day by doing something special for her.

My 7-year-old is ambidextrous. I guess he is just doomed.