Are you left-handed? I am (and Obama too)!

I'm so glad George W. Bush is right-handed!

I'm kidding! (not). It's just that the entire world right now is talking about newly-inaugurated U.S. President Barack Obama's handedness. Yup, we are part of this very exclusive minority, a mere 10 percent of the world's population - the southpaws.


If you are one, I bet you can relate to this - someone suddenly coming up to you and asking if you're a leftie after obviously seeing that you're writing using your left hand. Well duh! Do these people just wanna make sure they're not blind? Or maybe they think you're a commie or something. (No, I'm really right handed...I'm just using my left hand for now so people would notice me and say to my face..."you're left-handed!" hehe).

Strange, really. Here in the Philippines, the term "kaliwete" (left-handed) has this other stupid connotation. When someone says you are "kaliwete," it's either they are referring to your handedness or they could mean you are "salawahan" (unfaithful). I'm not really sure of its etymology or why anything here in this country pertaining to the "left" means going astray. Is it because all the motels here are probably located on the left side of the road? Hmm...

I'm pretty sure President Obama is faithful to his wife, and I'm sure as hell that not all lefties are unfaithful. Us lefties are used to all these misinterpretations. I mean, absolutely nothing beats this age-old superstition associating the left hand side to the devil. Eww!!

If anyone still believes in these absolutely inane myths about the lefties, please go back to the dark ages. A lot of studies and scientific research have already been made in recent times about left-handedness and I'd say, I think we are a pretty cool bunch.

So, here are a couple of links I want to share not only with my fellow lefties, but with the rest of you as well not included in that 10 percent, and these are all very insightful information about the world of left-handedness.

Ancient Lefties: The History of Obama's Handedness
Left-handed Myths and Misunderstandings
What Makes a Lefty: Myths & Mysteries Persist
Famous Left-Handed People
Genetics of Left Handedness

Lefties rule! And President Obama, too.