I have thought about writing this piece for a decade. Its a small thing, but its lived with me. I am left handed, and I am VERY interested in left handedness. I study the neurology of it. Its come into my mind because I am reading a book right this moment about all things left handed. I am super fascinated by it. Interestingly, just about everything we think we know about left handed folks gets debunked every few years. Allow me to unbunk some left handed radar I possess. Sadly, this gift doesn’t have a catchy name like ‘gaydar’, but I can sense left handedness. On to my story I’ve been meaning to tell… and why today totally clinched it.
I was with the wifey in some antique store. You know… places that sell crap like glass figurines of cutesy shit. We were in Morrison, CO killing some time before a Red Rocks show. I am wandering around this store just killing time and i see a rock. Its a river rock about the size of your palm. On this rock, someone had written with a sharpie ‘turn me over’. So, I did. On the other side of the rock it said – in sharpie again – ‘aw, thank you’. I took this rock to the shopkeeper and said “the person who did this is left handed, aren’t they?” the lady said “yes, my husband did that, and he IS left handed”. She was impressed, and you should be, too. We are only 10% of the populace.
So why did I tell you this story now, some 10 or 15 years later? Because I am reading this book? No sir, it is not. It is because I had a very similar thing happen today. I was at neighbor’s block party today. He restores high end old Chevys. Here, look. This is his shop. As you may imagine, all around the property are these stunning and perfect and gorgeous restored 50s and 60s Chevy hot rods. These cars are all backed in, with their hoods up… to show off the beautiful and chromed out engine fixins.
As the show and party wound down, several of the cars left. As they did, attendees began to backfill the parking spots. One of the plain modern cars that was moved up into place (because the owner was on crutches) was back in. It was a Toyota Camry. He had the amazing sense of humor and comic timing to pop his hood up just like all the other $100K cars around him.
We all had a great laugh, and then it dawned on me. The person who did that was left handed. The kind of whimsy and silliness and creativity could only have been done by a lefty. I approached the guy and first thanked him. Then, I asked if he was left handed. I told him how much we all loved it and only a left handed person would do something so dumb… something so ‘all life is art’ dada move. He explained to me it was his car, and he was not left handed. Then, though, he offered this “Oh, that was my wife’s idea… and she IS left handed.”
The photo from the event today. Wifey took that today.
I am Correct 