Each year on Aug. 13, the world celebrates International Left Handers Day. This day raises awareness about the challenges left-handers face in a predominantly right-handed world. Blue Yonder associate Nina Seth shares her insights into being left-handed in this DIVE In blog post.

Oh, to be a left-hander in a right-handed world. You experience intrigue, curiosity and sometimes even dismay. While approximately 10-12% of the world’s population is left-handed, it includes some notable leaders and celebrities. Several past U.S. presidents including Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and former British prime ministers David Cameron and Winston Churchill have been left-handed, as well actors and singers such as Sir Paul McCartney and Lady Gaga. The total number of lefties might be small, but we’ve made our presence known on the world stage.

As far as I can remember, I’ve been a leftie. I started eating food and playing with toys using my left hand from my earliest childhood. I colored and wrote with my left hand in school. I played sports using my left hand. But it hasn’t always been easy. I grew up hearing relatives and even family friends asking my parents why they didn’t force me to be right-handed by taking my crayon or spoon and placing it in my right hand.

In college, I remember trying to find the small number of left-handed desks in the large, 100+ lecture auditoriums. Imagine where you can sit determined by your dominant hand and nothing else.

And let’s not forget sports. I currently play tennis and most of my instructors and classmates are right-handed. I’m often told to do the opposite of what the instructor is showing to my right-handed peers. I’m still waiting for that leftie tennis clinic.

Sadly, almost every left-handed person has been asked at one point why they are left-handed and why they can’t change. It’s not as simple as waking up tomorrow and eating with your right hand. We are wired differently. Doing activities with my left-hand is natural – it’s simply second nature to me. This is true of most lefties. Now that doesn’t mean we can’t ever do things with our right hand. If you’re left hand is injured, then you do your best with what you have…just don’t grade my penmanship.

Being left-handed has taught me that the world likes conformity. If you fall outside the norm, people question why and often want to change you to fit their definition of “normal.” They don’t often take the time to understand the differences and what makes us all unique. I’ve learned that it’s perfectly acceptable to be unique. You can live your best life by being yourself …even if that’s different than most people.  So to those lefties out there…we are a small and mighty group. We are proud to be left-handed today, tomorrow and forever, so let’s not forget the world celebrates us on Aug. 13 for International Left Handers Day.