FanStory.com - Left-handed, But Not Stupidby patcelaw

Left-handed, But Not Stupid

When I was a little girl, I was left-handed, but not left-handed in everything I did. When I started school my teacher tried to switch me from being left-handed when I wrote. I would go home and tell my mother what was happening. Mom went to the school and had a talk with the teacher and in not too many words told the teacher to leave me alone about which hand I chose to write with.

I thought that my mother had my best interests at heart, but years later when I wanted to learn to knit, crochet and sew, I was often told by the same mother that she could not teach me these skills. Why? You got it, because I was left-handed. This was confusing to me as I did so many things right-handed. I batted and threw a ball with my right hand. I washed dishes with my right hand. When I hoed in the garden I was using the hoe in my right hand. When we would be painting in the house I was using my right hand with equal ease as I was using my left hand. So I got to the point that I just quit asking mom to help me learn, sewing, knitting or crochet.

I was a junior in high school and since mom worked at the state mental hospital, there came a time when a patient who had been in the hospital for many years and was going to be released from the hospital needed a place to make the transition to life out of the hospital.

Mom took her into our home to help her make the transition. This lady knew how to crochet so I asked her to teach me how to crochet. I didn't tell her I was left-handed. I just took the hook in my right hand and soon I was crocheting.

Later in life, I learned how to sew and spent every summer as a mother sewing for my three girls. I sewed right-handed with a needle. I also learned from a book how to knit and have won many prizes for my knitted work. I also won prizes for other crochet and sewing items.

After winning many prizes for my work I finally knew, I was left-handed, but not stupid.
- Patricia Lawrence