I am part of an unrecognized minority. A century ago, I would have been considered insane, evil, or possessed. It is painful, impossible, or possibly deadly for me to use some products designed for most people. If you have not already figured it out, I am one of the ten percent of the people in the world who is left-handed.

You might not think it is difficult being left-handed, but have you ever tried using scissors with your left hand? It is extremely awkward and sometimes painful. Also, I cannot perform the simple task of using a can opener. Most utensiIs are designed with a right-handed grip, which makes them useless to lefties. The only device that is more convenient for left-handed people is the highway tollbooth.

Writing at the desks in school can become very difficult and tiresome. Look around your classroom, there are left-handed students, but how many left-handed desks do you see? Chances are there aren't any. When writing, I have to bend my arm and hand around in an awkward position and usually end up smudging the ink all over my hand anyway.

Lefties are slightly more likely to get into car accidents because, when startled, they tend to swerve left into oncoming traffic. To avoid this, left-handed people should be given the right of way (or left of way, as it were). Left-handed drivers would be given signs similar to those for student drivers.

Another annoyance is sitting next to a right-handed person while eating. I usually end up constantly bumping elbows during the meal. This is mutually disturbing for the opposite half of the person sitting next to me. To eliminate this problem, I usually get stuck alone at the head of the table.

Also, a large number of left-handers die each year from using right-handed products. One of the most dangerous is the power saw. Lefties are more likely to cut flesh and bone than wood. It is easier for a left-handed person to use right-handed tools than for a right-handed person to use a left-handed tool. Contrary to popular belief, left-handed people are not clumsy; they just are not fully adapted to the right-handed world. Left is commonly associated with evil (sinister means left in Latin) and insincerity (left-handed compliment).

You may know of many famous left-handed people and not even realize it. The last five presidents have been left-handed. During the last presidential election, all three of the major candidates were left-handed. Some of the greatest thinkers of all time were left-handed: Aristotle, Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, and Mark Twain, to name a few. Some of the greatest rulers were also left-handed: Alexander the Great, Winston Churchill, Napoleon, Ramses, and Queen Elizabeth II. The richest man in America, Bill Gates, is left-handed. Some of the most talented people in entertainment are left-handed: Tim Allen, Jerry Seinfeld, and Jim Carrey.

It can be concluded that left-handed people are more imaginative and motivated than right-handed people. It is a scientific fact that one side of the brain controls the other side of the body. This means that left-handed people are the only ones in their right mind. ?