Ambidextrous

I don't have a lot of early childhood memories, but the ones I do I remember vividly; like when the precious ring my grandfather bought for me bounced down the steps and into the black abyss of a floor vent.

This morning the closet door to memories opened and one fell out, maybe the fact today is the first day of school here in Portland had something to do with it.  Anyway, I think I must have started life out as a 'lefty'.  Apparently, I didn't realize that, until the day I sat in my first grade class and the teacher kept taking the pencil out of my left hand and putting it into my right.  I must have been puzzled, but eventually I learned to write with my right hand.

I guess I must have thought it was a school rule or something that we had to write with our right hands, until I was in second grade, noticed a classmate was definitely writing with her left hand...hmmm.  Maybe there was no rule.  By then I'd been acclimated to writing with my right hand, it was all good.

Time passed, and over the years I began to ponder things I did differently than others.  Little things, insignificant things, every day things.

I throw a ball left handed, yet, eat with my fork in my right hand.
I use a knife with my left hand, yet use right handed scissors.
I hold my toothbrush in my left hand, but drink things by using either hand.
Generally, I will grasp a hand rail with my left hand, and go up and down stairs on the left side.
I use gardening tools with my right hand.
Brush and comb my hair with my left.
My office is set up to accommodate the use of my left hand.
I dust, vacuum, prepare dishes for the dishwasher, using both, depending on convenience I suppose.
I will use a screw-driver with either hand, but only use a hammer with my right.
And...here is a real puzzler...I cannot remember for the life of me, what direction to turn a faucet on and off.  Honest, I never, ever get it correct, even thought I know the little saying "Right-y, tight-y, lefty, loos-y."  I will always, always do it wrong.
Oh, and typing...it's a real chore...I will, till my dying day, have a struggle with a keyboard.  My left hand wants to be 'in charge' constantly be-rating my right hand for not being able to keep up.

It's been quite a conundrum, no wonder I've always been on the 'loopy' side.

One day I wondered if I was also 'left-footed', and tried to watch with what foot I started walking.  I've come to believe I am indeed left footed.  Generally, almost always, I take my first step with my left foot.  Is that trippy or what?

If I'm left footed, am I left brained?  Or is that even a trait for us ambidextrous folk?

I think I'm very fortunate to be able to use both hands interchangeably, and frankly, I don't think about it much, except for days like today when kids are heading back to their class rooms, and I am reminded of my first grade experience.  I wonder if my parents might have had something to do with the fact I was changed from a 'lefty' to a 'righty' when it came to using a pen, crayon, pencil, etc.  Because, why else would have the teacher singled me out, and not my classmate.  I will never know, unless I remember to ask my parents when I go to the Great Beyond.

We folks who are ambidextrous are a wonderful breed, don't know how many of us belong to this club, but I'm happy to be a member.  If it's true 'lefties' are always 'right'...what does that make me?  At least now we might have an explanation for my unusual behaviors.  It's because when I'm physically going right, my brain is headed left, and when my brain is going right, I'm physically doing something tending to go left.

Ooooh, I just gave myself a heady-ache.