I was eleven years old and in the sixth grade when the Gulf War began in 1990. I vaguely remember hearing about it. Seeing news snippets of it on the TV. My father never really spoke about it; at least not that I can remember. I was too young then to know what was going on. I was twenty-two when the War in Afghanistan began in 2001. Much older now I knew the cause of the war, but I never read about it and got sick and tired of seeing coverage of it on every news channel for days on end. At thirty-four years old today and on the brink of war with Syria I am much more cognizant. I listen to NPR and watch some media coverage of the events. I have formed my own opinions about the civil war that has been waging in Syria for the past two years and our possible involvement to stop it.
As I sit and listen to the voices from the radio and the reporters on the TV I know the two teenage girls I live with will have the same memory of this issue in Syria as I did of the Gulf and Afghanistan wars. They go about their business naive to the fact that our President wishes to initiate a targeted strike on Assad in an effort to instill fear and make him stop using chemical weapons. I asked the oldest, fifteen almost sixteen, if any of her teachers were discussing the current events of our Nation at school and she gave me a short "no." Undoubtedly neither of them will read about this or hear of it unless we go to war with Syria. Then maybe the younger one, twelve going on thirteen, will read about it when she attends High School.
In time when someone mentions the events of the past months teenagers now may feel compelled to look up what happened in Syria in 2013. I'm sure they will be like me and say "I don't remember that." The memories will be fuzzy and hazy.
Isn't it our job as adults to teach our children about the current events? Why don't schools share these breaking news stories with our children? They may not care. They may only be partially interested or not at all. Should we not make the effort to show them even if it does fall on a deaf ear?
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
My 2008 Year End Recap
December 31, 2008
Let me start off by saying that I do not make New Year's Resolutions. I never have and do not intend to start. If you're going to make a promise to do something different in your life why wait until December 31st to promise yourself that. Just do it.
This year went by awfully fast I have to admit. The two biggest things that I did was start this blog and do NaNoWriMo. I am certainly glad that I started this blog and I am glad that I have begun a reader base. It makes me happy knowing that you have enjoyed my content enough to subscribe. Doing NaNo and winning on my first try was a great experience. I hope you had as much fun reading about my triumphs as I did writing them.
This year I saw gas go as high as $4.77 for premium grade, and if my memory serves me it stayed at the horrific price for nearly a week. We all know the troubles the economy is going through, so I won't beat that dead horse. But I will say that I hope never to see the Dow Jones drop as much as it did.
Here are some random events from 2008:
Let me start off by saying that I do not make New Year's Resolutions. I never have and do not intend to start. If you're going to make a promise to do something different in your life why wait until December 31st to promise yourself that. Just do it.
This year went by awfully fast I have to admit. The two biggest things that I did was start this blog and do NaNoWriMo. I am certainly glad that I started this blog and I am glad that I have begun a reader base. It makes me happy knowing that you have enjoyed my content enough to subscribe. Doing NaNo and winning on my first try was a great experience. I hope you had as much fun reading about my triumphs as I did writing them.
In other news this year I became addicted to Lost all thanks to finding First On Mars. I started at season one and watched it all the way to the end of season four in record time. There were times when I thought I had things figured out or knew what was coming next, but then the writers yanked me in a different direction. I am really looking forward to season five. I actually can't stand the wait.
This year I saw gas go as high as $4.77 for premium grade, and if my memory serves me it stayed at the horrific price for nearly a week. We all know the troubles the economy is going through, so I won't beat that dead horse. But I will say that I hope never to see the Dow Jones drop as much as it did.
Here are some random events from 2008:
- Fidel Castro announced his resignation of Cuba
- The moon moved to its closest point to Earth
- Bernie Mac, Paul Newman, Estelle Getty, Heath Ledger, Charlton Heston, Tim Russert, Bobby Fischer, and George Carlin all passed away
- America elected the first African-American president
- OJ Simpson gets thrown in jail
- 67,000 Chinese people died as a result of a 7.9 magnitude earthquake
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
I Quit Smoking
December 26, 2008
Exactly one year ago today I made the choice to quit smoking.
I started smoking when I was 17 years old. My best friend in High School looked 18 and she was able to buy cigarettes for us. This was right before they made it mandatory for store owners to card people that looked under 30. My very first cigarette was a Camel Light and we would smoke only a couple of cigarettes a day. Mostly when we hung out after school. We always blamed the other when our parents would ask why we smelled like smoke.
Three years ago when I bought a new car I made the decision not to smoke in it. Doing this was the start of my road to quitting. I soon noticed that I was smoking less because I would normally have two or three cigarettes when I was driving to and from work. In addition to not smoking in my car I was not allowed to smoke in my house because my landlord's would not allow it. I respected their wishes. After all, who wants their house to stink like nasty cigarette smoke? So, through the rain, the wind, and the cold I would stand outside in my backyard puffing away. After two years I was down to less than a half a pack a day.
As I thought more and more about quitting I became more and more scared. What would I do at work? I had a schedule to keep. My breaks were like clock work. At 10 o'clock I was out there with the morning crowd. At lunch I would smoke one or two and again at 3 o'clock I was back outside smoking away with the crowd. I knew I could break the habit, but I didn't know if I was ready for it.
Quietly, on the day after Christmas last year, I smoked my last cigarette at noon, put my trusty lighter away, and bought Nicorette. I carefully read the instructions and popped the first piece in my mouth. It was peppery just like it said, but satisfying at the same time. Every couple of hours I would chew a new piece cravings or not.
All my fears washed away after a week of chewing the gum. I hardly had any desire to smoke and actually was enjoying the fact that my clothes smelled like laundry detergent. I found new ways at work to take my breaks and after a month of chewing the gum I gave that up too. Nicotine had me in its hold for 11 years, but now I can proudly say that I am smoke-free and I will never take another puff.
Are you a smoker? Is it time for you to quit?
Exactly one year ago today I made the choice to quit smoking.
I started smoking when I was 17 years old. My best friend in High School looked 18 and she was able to buy cigarettes for us. This was right before they made it mandatory for store owners to card people that looked under 30. My very first cigarette was a Camel Light and we would smoke only a couple of cigarettes a day. Mostly when we hung out after school. We always blamed the other when our parents would ask why we smelled like smoke.
Three years ago when I bought a new car I made the decision not to smoke in it. Doing this was the start of my road to quitting. I soon noticed that I was smoking less because I would normally have two or three cigarettes when I was driving to and from work. In addition to not smoking in my car I was not allowed to smoke in my house because my landlord's would not allow it. I respected their wishes. After all, who wants their house to stink like nasty cigarette smoke? So, through the rain, the wind, and the cold I would stand outside in my backyard puffing away. After two years I was down to less than a half a pack a day.
As I thought more and more about quitting I became more and more scared. What would I do at work? I had a schedule to keep. My breaks were like clock work. At 10 o'clock I was out there with the morning crowd. At lunch I would smoke one or two and again at 3 o'clock I was back outside smoking away with the crowd. I knew I could break the habit, but I didn't know if I was ready for it.
Quietly, on the day after Christmas last year, I smoked my last cigarette at noon, put my trusty lighter away, and bought Nicorette. I carefully read the instructions and popped the first piece in my mouth. It was peppery just like it said, but satisfying at the same time. Every couple of hours I would chew a new piece cravings or not.
All my fears washed away after a week of chewing the gum. I hardly had any desire to smoke and actually was enjoying the fact that my clothes smelled like laundry detergent. I found new ways at work to take my breaks and after a month of chewing the gum I gave that up too. Nicotine had me in its hold for 11 years, but now I can proudly say that I am smoke-free and I will never take another puff.
Are you a smoker? Is it time for you to quit?
Christmas for me as a kid
December 19, 2008
I grew up as an only child. My parents divorced when I was young and I was raised by my father. I don't recall sharing Christmas with my mother, father, and half-sister but I know we did because I have seen the pictures in our album. I was wearing a Santa hat in all of them and you can tell they were taken at night because the Christmas tree was lit ,casting a rainbow colored glow throughout the photos.
My dad and I lived in apartments most of the time, but when I was six or seven we rented a house on a busy corner. I remember sitting in front of the Christmas tree one year with my dad and asking him how Santa got into homes or apartments that had no chimneys because every kid knew that's how Santa got in to leave the presents. He looked at me and said that Santa could get in through the windows. That his magic let him walk right through them.
He and I would put out cookies and milk for Santa. Sometimes even carrots or sugar cubes for the reindeer. I chuckle now, as an adult, knowing that it was my dad who took the sip from the glass of milk the night before. And it was he who ate the cookies and removed the carrots and sugar cubes. Wasn't it so exciting to see that Santa had actually drank your milk? The milk you left for him?
I loved Christmas as a kid. All the anticipation leading up to that one special morning when you wake up and see what Santa left you under the tree. My dad and I always opened one or two presents the night before. Then he would send me off to bed and of course I wouldn't sleep. How could I? In the morning there would be the unwrapped presents that Santa brought in the middle of the night sparkling under the Christmas tree.
I think my favorite Christmas present I got when I was growing up was a bicycle. It was my first bike that had hand brakes and I loved it. My dad and I, we did pretty good during the Christmas season for two people who just had each other. And I think that was the best gift every year...each other.
I grew up as an only child. My parents divorced when I was young and I was raised by my father. I don't recall sharing Christmas with my mother, father, and half-sister but I know we did because I have seen the pictures in our album. I was wearing a Santa hat in all of them and you can tell they were taken at night because the Christmas tree was lit ,casting a rainbow colored glow throughout the photos.
My dad and I lived in apartments most of the time, but when I was six or seven we rented a house on a busy corner. I remember sitting in front of the Christmas tree one year with my dad and asking him how Santa got into homes or apartments that had no chimneys because every kid knew that's how Santa got in to leave the presents. He looked at me and said that Santa could get in through the windows. That his magic let him walk right through them.
He and I would put out cookies and milk for Santa. Sometimes even carrots or sugar cubes for the reindeer. I chuckle now, as an adult, knowing that it was my dad who took the sip from the glass of milk the night before. And it was he who ate the cookies and removed the carrots and sugar cubes. Wasn't it so exciting to see that Santa had actually drank your milk? The milk you left for him?
I loved Christmas as a kid. All the anticipation leading up to that one special morning when you wake up and see what Santa left you under the tree. My dad and I always opened one or two presents the night before. Then he would send me off to bed and of course I wouldn't sleep. How could I? In the morning there would be the unwrapped presents that Santa brought in the middle of the night sparkling under the Christmas tree.
I think my favorite Christmas present I got when I was growing up was a bicycle. It was my first bike that had hand brakes and I loved it. My dad and I, we did pretty good during the Christmas season for two people who just had each other. And I think that was the best gift every year...each other.
Abbott & Costello - "Who's On First?"
December 15, 2008
I'm sure that most everyone has heard of the famous comedy team Abbott & Costello, and surely if you have heard of them then you have heard their most famous routine "Who's On First?"
I think I was about ten or maybe even as old as twelve when I first heard "Who's On First." If memory serves me I was sick and laying in bed when my father came in and brought me a tape. It was all white with black letters on it. He said that it was a comedy routine so I put the tape into my little boom box and hit play. For the next five minutes I could not stop laughing. I had forgotten that my head was stuffed up and that my throat was raw from coughing for the past two days. These two guys were geniuses, I thought. I played that tape over and over again until I cried from laughing so hard.
Years later I was on the phone with a friend of mine who wanted me to help her learn a little Spanish. We were just about to end the phone call:
Me: So, how about drinks after work tomorrow? Que Piensas?
Her: Sure sounds good. What was that you said in Spanish?
Me: Que Piensas?
Her: Oh, what does that mean?
Me: What do you think.
Her: I don't know. What does it mean?
Me: What do you think.
Her: If I knew I would tell you. I thought you said you'd help me with some Spanish.
Me: I am.
Her: Well then what does it mean?
Me: What do you think.
Her: I don't know what it means. That's why I am asking you!!
If you haven't figured it out yet Que piensas means What do you think in Spanish. My friend and I had a good laugh after I finally told her that I had been telling her the meaning the whole time. When I think about that conversation we had, I always think it sounded just like an Abbott & Costello routine.
Go on hit play. You'll laugh until you cry even if you have heard it a million times before.
I'm sure that most everyone has heard of the famous comedy team Abbott & Costello, and surely if you have heard of them then you have heard their most famous routine "Who's On First?"
I think I was about ten or maybe even as old as twelve when I first heard "Who's On First." If memory serves me I was sick and laying in bed when my father came in and brought me a tape. It was all white with black letters on it. He said that it was a comedy routine so I put the tape into my little boom box and hit play. For the next five minutes I could not stop laughing. I had forgotten that my head was stuffed up and that my throat was raw from coughing for the past two days. These two guys were geniuses, I thought. I played that tape over and over again until I cried from laughing so hard.
Years later I was on the phone with a friend of mine who wanted me to help her learn a little Spanish. We were just about to end the phone call:
Me: So, how about drinks after work tomorrow? Que Piensas?
Her: Sure sounds good. What was that you said in Spanish?
Me: Que Piensas?
Her: Oh, what does that mean?
Me: What do you think.
Her: I don't know. What does it mean?
Me: What do you think.
Her: If I knew I would tell you. I thought you said you'd help me with some Spanish.
Me: I am.
Her: Well then what does it mean?
Me: What do you think.
Her: I don't know what it means. That's why I am asking you!!
If you haven't figured it out yet Que piensas means What do you think in Spanish. My friend and I had a good laugh after I finally told her that I had been telling her the meaning the whole time. When I think about that conversation we had, I always think it sounded just like an Abbott & Costello routine.
Go on hit play. You'll laugh until you cry even if you have heard it a million times before.
How many different ways have you eaten turkey since Thanksgiving?
It's been nearly a week since you put 'ol Tom Turkey into the oven and baked him to a fine shade of golden brown. Chances are you bought a turkey big enough to feed the family and to have enough for leftovers. I know I did.
So there you are the day after Thanksgiving standing in front of the open fridge at around noon wondering what to have for lunch. Tom is staring at you from under the foil blanket he has on and you think to yourself, A turkey sandwich sounds good with some cranberry sauce on it. You pull out Tom cut off a few slices of white meat and throw in a little dark meat for flavor. Not bad. Not bad at all, you think.
Four hours later you find yourself standing in front of the fridge again and good 'ol Tom is staring back at you from beneath his foil blanket. You look and see that you still have enough of the fixings to have another Thanksgiving dinner. Why not? you say. I'm not tired of turkey, yet.
As the days go on it seems as though every time you open that fridge Tom is looking at you from under his foil blanket, and he doesn't seem to be getting any smaller. By now you have eaten your fair share of turkey sandwiches at work and had enough turkey dinners at home. You have even made turkey tacos because you were getting tired of the old standbys and one morning you threw it into your omelet just because. Then one night after putting Tom back into the fridge it dawns on you. Soup! You smack yourself on the forehead with the palm of your hand and say Why didn't I think of this fifteen sandwiches ago? As it turns out good 'ol Tom Turkey made an excellent soup and now every time you open the fridge you see that humongous pot of turkey soup staring at you, but that's another post.
How many ways did you eat your leftover turkey? Or are you still eating it?
So there you are the day after Thanksgiving standing in front of the open fridge at around noon wondering what to have for lunch. Tom is staring at you from under the foil blanket he has on and you think to yourself, A turkey sandwich sounds good with some cranberry sauce on it. You pull out Tom cut off a few slices of white meat and throw in a little dark meat for flavor. Not bad. Not bad at all, you think.
Four hours later you find yourself standing in front of the fridge again and good 'ol Tom is staring back at you from beneath his foil blanket. You look and see that you still have enough of the fixings to have another Thanksgiving dinner. Why not? you say. I'm not tired of turkey, yet.
As the days go on it seems as though every time you open that fridge Tom is looking at you from under his foil blanket, and he doesn't seem to be getting any smaller. By now you have eaten your fair share of turkey sandwiches at work and had enough turkey dinners at home. You have even made turkey tacos because you were getting tired of the old standbys and one morning you threw it into your omelet just because. Then one night after putting Tom back into the fridge it dawns on you. Soup! You smack yourself on the forehead with the palm of your hand and say Why didn't I think of this fifteen sandwiches ago? As it turns out good 'ol Tom Turkey made an excellent soup and now every time you open the fridge you see that humongous pot of turkey soup staring at you, but that's another post.
How many ways did you eat your leftover turkey? Or are you still eating it?
Black Friday - The Unofficial Holiday
Ah, yes Black Friday is just around the corner. On this day thousands of people will kick off their Christmas shopping. While Black Friday is not an official holiday many businesses give their employees the day off. I have had the misfortune of working for companies where I had to report back to work on Black Friday, and let me tell you it is no fun.
It is said, by Wikipedia, that the term Black Friday originated in Philadelphia when the police officers coined it Black Friday because of the heavy traffic that day. Now store and business owners are referring to Black Friday as the start of retailers turning a profit or being in the black. This unofficial holiday goes back as far as the 1960's, but the tradition of starting the unofficial Christmas season on the day after Thanksgiving dates back to the 1920's.
I have never been one to rush out the day after Thanksgiving and go Christmas shopping. I refuse to fight with all those people, drive around the mall parking lot looking for a parking spot, and battling those gigantic crowds. If you are wondering where I will be on Black Friday it will be right here in front of my laptop squeezing out the last few thousand words of my NaNo novel, because at 5 AM when those retailers open their doors to the masses I will not be standing there bright eyed and bushy tailed. No sir. I will be in my nice warm bed with the covers pulled up high waiting for the sun to gently wake me up.
For those of you who will be braving the mad rush on Black Friday, may someone pull out of the coveted parking space the moment you get to your destination, may nothing you really want to buy be out of stock, and may there always be a Starbucks where ever you are to keep you going, 'cause 5 o'clock in the morning comes fast! Here is a link to the Official Black Friday site to get you ready for the big day.
Since I will be with my family tomorrow I want to wish all of my readers, visitors, and passersby a Happy Thanksgiving!
May all of us eat until we cannot eat anymore, and then have dessert until we bust.
It is said, by Wikipedia, that the term Black Friday originated in Philadelphia when the police officers coined it Black Friday because of the heavy traffic that day. Now store and business owners are referring to Black Friday as the start of retailers turning a profit or being in the black. This unofficial holiday goes back as far as the 1960's, but the tradition of starting the unofficial Christmas season on the day after Thanksgiving dates back to the 1920's.
I have never been one to rush out the day after Thanksgiving and go Christmas shopping. I refuse to fight with all those people, drive around the mall parking lot looking for a parking spot, and battling those gigantic crowds. If you are wondering where I will be on Black Friday it will be right here in front of my laptop squeezing out the last few thousand words of my NaNo novel, because at 5 AM when those retailers open their doors to the masses I will not be standing there bright eyed and bushy tailed. No sir. I will be in my nice warm bed with the covers pulled up high waiting for the sun to gently wake me up.
For those of you who will be braving the mad rush on Black Friday, may someone pull out of the coveted parking space the moment you get to your destination, may nothing you really want to buy be out of stock, and may there always be a Starbucks where ever you are to keep you going, 'cause 5 o'clock in the morning comes fast! Here is a link to the Official Black Friday site to get you ready for the big day.
Since I will be with my family tomorrow I want to wish all of my readers, visitors, and passersby a Happy Thanksgiving!
May all of us eat until we cannot eat anymore, and then have dessert until we bust.
If you could live in any time period what would it be?
I'm sure you have guessed that I like the future considering my favorite childhood cartoon was The Jetsons. Ever since I was a kid I have been fascinated the future. Watching Back To The Future II and being a Star Trek fan has also fueled my curiosity for this unknown time period.
I marvel in the idea of the future because it holds uncertainty and the promise of new inventions. The possibility of flying cars, a wrist watch that is actually a phone, and food that comes out of a machine on command would certainly be worth seeing and owning. The idea that we can really transport people from one place to the next like they do in Star Trek would solve so much of our traffic congestion. The adventure of flying into space, exploring new worlds, and making friends with aliens from other galaxies is both scary and exciting.
I have always said that I want to see the year 3000. I would love to be around for that turn of the century, but it's obvious that will remain a dream of mine. Why the year 3000? I'm not sure. Maybe because it is so far away from my own time line and I just cannot image what our world will look like. In the year 3000 will there be skyscrapers as tall as the eye can travel? Will people get around with jet packs? How much will a McDonald's cheeseburger cost? $30? Will we finally have the cure for the common cold? If so, will other diseases be cured too? The questions are endless.
The concepts of flying cars, transporters and, watches that are really phones are not too far fetched considering what mankind has done in the last thousand years. In 1900 no one ever thought there would be things called cars driving around city streets and they certainly did not think we would be transporting people by plane from one side of the country to the next. Thirty years ago no one thought people would listen to music on a CD. It was not until 1974 that computers became available to the average everyday person and look at us now. Nearly every home has at least one computer in it. Twenty years ago if you told some one that almost every human being would be carrying around a little portable phone they would have laughed at you.
I know I will never see the year 3000, but I will be around long enough to see the year 2040 and beyond. The only thing I want is to own a car that can fly. A DeLorean would do just fine, thank you.
Do you have a favorite time period? What is it?
I marvel in the idea of the future because it holds uncertainty and the promise of new inventions. The possibility of flying cars, a wrist watch that is actually a phone, and food that comes out of a machine on command would certainly be worth seeing and owning. The idea that we can really transport people from one place to the next like they do in Star Trek would solve so much of our traffic congestion. The adventure of flying into space, exploring new worlds, and making friends with aliens from other galaxies is both scary and exciting.
I have always said that I want to see the year 3000. I would love to be around for that turn of the century, but it's obvious that will remain a dream of mine. Why the year 3000? I'm not sure. Maybe because it is so far away from my own time line and I just cannot image what our world will look like. In the year 3000 will there be skyscrapers as tall as the eye can travel? Will people get around with jet packs? How much will a McDonald's cheeseburger cost? $30? Will we finally have the cure for the common cold? If so, will other diseases be cured too? The questions are endless.
The concepts of flying cars, transporters and, watches that are really phones are not too far fetched considering what mankind has done in the last thousand years. In 1900 no one ever thought there would be things called cars driving around city streets and they certainly did not think we would be transporting people by plane from one side of the country to the next. Thirty years ago no one thought people would listen to music on a CD. It was not until 1974 that computers became available to the average everyday person and look at us now. Nearly every home has at least one computer in it. Twenty years ago if you told some one that almost every human being would be carrying around a little portable phone they would have laughed at you.
I know I will never see the year 3000, but I will be around long enough to see the year 2040 and beyond. The only thing I want is to own a car that can fly. A DeLorean would do just fine, thank you.
Do you have a favorite time period? What is it?
The Electoral College
You have all heard of it. They even tried to teach you this in school, but what is this Electoral College really?
I am sure that most of you remember the infamous 2000 election between Al Gore and President George W. Bush. Gore received 537,179 more popular votes that President Bush on that Election Day but after the Electoral College met they awarded President Bush the state of Florida and he won the presidency. There were three other instances in which the Presidential candidate with the most popular votes did not win the presidency. They were:
What do you think? Is the Electoral College a good idea or do you prefer electing a President by popular vote?
The entire process goes something like this: We the people of the United States of America get up, go to work on the second Tuesday of November, and then before going home we stand in line at our favorite voting booth and vote for our next President. We race home and eagerly watch the numbers unfold and watch the map of the United States turn red and blue. Ultimately someone is named the victor. But, this victor may or may not be the next President. On the Monday following the second Wednesday in December the electors of each state meet and vote for President. Those votes are sealed and sent to Congress where they are read on January 6th. Then the new President is sworn in on January 20th."The Electoral College is a controversial mechanism of presidential elections that was created by the framers of the U.S. Constitution as a compromise for the presidential election process. At the time, some politicians believed a purely popular election was too reckless, while others objected to giving Congress the power to select the president. The compromise was to set up an Electoral College system that allowed voters to vote for electors, who would then cast their votes for candidates, a system described in Article II, section 1 of the Constitution."
I am sure that most of you remember the infamous 2000 election between Al Gore and President George W. Bush. Gore received 537,179 more popular votes that President Bush on that Election Day but after the Electoral College met they awarded President Bush the state of Florida and he won the presidency. There were three other instances in which the Presidential candidate with the most popular votes did not win the presidency. They were:
- 1824 John Quincy Adams received fewer votes than Andrew Jackson. Adams was awarded the Presidency after the House voted on it.
- 1876 Rutherford Hayes lost the popular vote to Samuel Tilden. Hayes received 5 of the 6 smallest states electoral college votes along with Colorado to win.
- 1888 Benjamin Harrison lost the popular vote to Grover Cleveland, but he won the electoral college by 65.
What do you think? Is the Electoral College a good idea or do you prefer electing a President by popular vote?
Left-handed People
I have always been fascinated with left-handed people. Maybe it's because my mother once told me that when I was a kid she noticed I was becoming left-handed and made me do things with my right. When I asked her why she said "Because it was evil to be left-handed in my day." Whether that story holds water, I have no clue, but I do have this odd curiosity for southpaws. I find that when I am watching TV I point people out who are left-handed to my friends, who could not care less if Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander are both left-handed. What a coincidence that two left-handed actors just happen to be on the same show. They say that only 10% of the world is left-handed.
My very good friend is a lefty and she has given me some great insight into the world of southpaws. Did you know that pens and pencils are even designed for the right-handed world? They are. Go get a pen or pencil. I'll wait. Take that pen or pencil and put it in your right hand, as if you were going to write, so you can read the name brand. No problem, right? You can easily read it. Now take the pen or pencil and place it in your left hand so you can see the brand name. Not so easy to read the name now is it?! We all know one of the most obvious pet peeves of any left-handed person. The old school desk. Those puppies were, without a doubt, made with the right-handed person in mind. Little things like putting a knife back into the block make all the difference for left-handed people. At my left-handed friends house the blade of the knives face left. Go on. I'll wait while you jump up and check yours.
My friend, unlike some left-handed people, writes like a right-handed person. She doesn't turn her arm into a contorted shape when she writes. You've seen lefties write. Their arm practically covers the entire paper and they are almost writing upside down. My friend says left-handed people do this so they don't get ink on the side of their hand. In fact I've seen someone literally write upside down. This woman came into my office one day with an application and I noticed she forgot to write something down so I scooted the paper across my desk, upside down, and when she got it she turned the application around and started writing the most beautiful handwriting you ever saw. I was astounded! The application was facing me and there she was writing on it. Upside down!
Here is a short list of famous left-handed people:
My very good friend is a lefty and she has given me some great insight into the world of southpaws. Did you know that pens and pencils are even designed for the right-handed world? They are. Go get a pen or pencil. I'll wait. Take that pen or pencil and put it in your right hand, as if you were going to write, so you can read the name brand. No problem, right? You can easily read it. Now take the pen or pencil and place it in your left hand so you can see the brand name. Not so easy to read the name now is it?! We all know one of the most obvious pet peeves of any left-handed person. The old school desk. Those puppies were, without a doubt, made with the right-handed person in mind. Little things like putting a knife back into the block make all the difference for left-handed people. At my left-handed friends house the blade of the knives face left. Go on. I'll wait while you jump up and check yours.
My friend, unlike some left-handed people, writes like a right-handed person. She doesn't turn her arm into a contorted shape when she writes. You've seen lefties write. Their arm practically covers the entire paper and they are almost writing upside down. My friend says left-handed people do this so they don't get ink on the side of their hand. In fact I've seen someone literally write upside down. This woman came into my office one day with an application and I noticed she forgot to write something down so I scooted the paper across my desk, upside down, and when she got it she turned the application around and started writing the most beautiful handwriting you ever saw. I was astounded! The application was facing me and there she was writing on it. Upside down!
Here is a short list of famous left-handed people:
- Brad Pitt
- Morgan Freeman
- Robert De Niro
- Judy Garland
- Angelina Jolie
- Oprah Winfrey
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