Being a Ciotog*

So, we're on a topic of being a lefty.

It has always been a muse for me why a lefty is a lefty.

For the first few years of my life, (until I was 6 or so), I have always been very comfortable in using my left hand, but then mother and father decided that in our Asian society using your left hand for the most dominant task is completely frowned upon and let's push little Taiko Tari to forget to use her left hand and use her right instead. No, little girl, you should NOT use your left hand when you put food in your mouth. No, little girl, you should not shake hands with your left hand. No, little girl, you should not do anything with your left hand unless you're in the bathroom.
And thus I began using my right hand for most tasks in life.

Over the years I often wonder, why am I always the clumsiest person in the class, in the bus, or at any place in general. I seem to be a walking jumpy elephant in a small room. I dropped everything around me and trip over a crack and fall down over nothing.
This is a very common scene: somebody will hand me something, I will receive it with my right hand and then drop it and break it merely 2 minutes after that.

Now, fast forward to the future.... this situation has again pushed me to utilize my left hand to the max. In my life time, this is the fourth time I do it. Looking back to previous three times (motor bike accident - disjointed right arm from the shoulder/3 months recovery, two times rollerblade accidents - broken elbow number 1, and broken elbow number 2 /4-5 weeks recovery) and my current situation (in 7 days will be 3 weeks recovery) -- I am amused that in all those unfortunate situation, I always adapt surprisingly well with my left hand. After 2 days, then I don't need any more assistance from anyone. I don't drop things anymore and I even cook with my mighty left comfortably.

This brings everything back to the underlying concept why a lefty is a lefty. Wikipedia has laid the facts down with decent arguments about left-handed people.
My own conclusion would be: some people are left-handed because they are born that way. It is not a satanic cursed act. And they who are born that way never meant to be impolite or undermine the society, but that's how they neuroscientifically function. Pushing change to make a lefty a righty will only create disaster to the subjected respondent and ultimately the world around the subject.

As for myself - ever since I departed Indonesia and started living in Japan, I have found a balance between my right and left hands. I do things equally with both hands and found a comfortable equilibrium in that world. Nobody here look at me funny if I don't apologize handing or receiving things with my left hand.
That being said - having been a convert right-handed for over two decades - it's not a big deal anymore to use my right hand. Am still (VERY) clumsy and all, but that's probably just my charm. haha.

*Ciotog is an Irish word used to describe left-handed people, which also means 'strange person'.