Like everybody else. I knew that the world’s population was divided into two very broad classes of people; most of us are right handed and a minority are left handed. There were a few very rare individuals who were ambidextrous. Marveled at the ambidextrous. Wished I was one of them.
Grew up thinking of myself as right handed like the majority of the world. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I was a part of an unexamined, largely unknown group. I am mixed dominant. (What’s that????)
As, most of you probably know the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body and vice versa (so only left-handers are in their right mind ;-)). In most persons, the left brain is dominant, the right side of the body is larger and stronger than the left and we use our right hand to do just about every task, with the left hand acting as an assistant.
One day dad took us out to the beach as he just loved to do, but this day, he asked me to take the pictures. Nice camera even had tripod and timer. Took great, high quality pictures and he was instructing me in its proper use. “Don’t jerk it Dennis, just squeeze this button slowly. Got it?”. “Sure, no problem.” Then he took his position as I waited until they were all ready.
Dad: “Why are you holding it to your left eye”
Me: “Doesn’t everybody?”
Dad: “No!”
I really did not know that!!!
I am an avid Bible reader. Came upon this scripture, “. . . I shall strike the bow from your left hand . . ” (Ezekiel 39:3) In archery, my bow is in my right hand!!!!. Then I started to notice a few other things: I use a slingshot left-handed, the left side of my body is larger than the right, whenever I am using my machete, I switch to the left hand when the right is tired, same with the hammer, I use a sledge hammer and axes with either hand!!! Yet I’m definitely not ambidextrous!!! Use my cell phone with my left hand.
Noticed to my great delight that I was in very distinguished company:
- Shigeru Miyamoto - Modern day video game designer for Nintendo (see The Legend Of Zelda, Mario)
- Leonardo da Vinci - Renaissance artist and scientist
- Albert Einstein - Scientist
- Richard Feynman - Scientist
- Oscar Wilde - Playwright and poet
- Nikola Tesla - Inventor
- Michelangelo - Artist
- Jimi Hendrix - Guitarist
- Benjamin Franklin - Scientist
- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi - Religious and political leader
- Ludwig van Beethoven - composer
- Shawn Michaels - Professional wrestler
- Kobe Bryant - Professional NBA basketball player
- Sachin Tendulkar - Professional cricketer
- Rafael Nadal - Professional tennis player
- Ronnie O'Sullivan Professional snooker player
- Donovan McNabb American Football Player[1]
My brain works a little different than you “normal” people. I move information between my right and left hemispheres rapidly, I sometimes process the same information with both hemispheres simultaneously. However there are downsides. I am lousy at soccer and most sports that don’t involve a bat and ball; I might process information slower and often take a little longer to make a decision, also I get irritated at my wife for constantly changing her mind.
The creativity and imagination of mixed dominants often amaze others. Also, we often succeed in giving the illusion that we are smarter than others. (I was very amused at my IQ profile). AADD at a young age, progressing to AAADD is a problem however.
Found this paper that mentions Mixed Dominance
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Comments: 39
I read Broca's Brain back in tthe 80's, which led me to thinking about language and the structure of the brain and also how language originally developed. It's an interesting subject.
I usually shop left to right with a few zig-zags, which drives my beloved husband crazy.
Welcome to the club!
She is an interior decorator. Her designs can be seen in the rooms of the Pegasus hotel in New Kingston and in the main dining hall of Jamaica House where foreign dignitaries including heads of states are entertained.
In my opinion, her poerty is better than Maria's but she won't post any of it.
Adrian (not on Gather) switches from left to right for many tasks. Also writes good poetry, but rarely does.
I was also born with a 'caul' and due to superstition it was believed to be the sign of being blessed of God, which I can testify He has blessed me abundantly.
I do however wash dishes, cut food and stir pots left handed and as a child was told by a superstitious aunt I was somewhat of a half breed - both evil form my mothers side and blessed by my fathers. LOL - I do make it a point to give my tithes from the right hand.
But apart from that, I do think that I always had the potential to be ambidextrous like my older brother was. I learned to bat left handed while still in high school. But I have always been able to saw and swing an axe with either hand. Curiously, as the years have worn on, I find that I can do more and more things with either hand. Heh, by the time I pass on, I hope to be fully ambidextrous! :-)
LOL
Here's a trick I learned:
Take a writing instrument up into each hand separately. Begin to draw something simultaneously. Your other hand will copy what your dominant hand is doing, only symmetrically!
This may be simply because there is no one rapping our knuckles and making us change anymore (at least in this culture). It may be that left-handedness is an evolutionary step that more and more of the human race is taking (and I have a theory on why we are an advancement in evolutionary terms).