Left out? No. Left-handers have their own day

Throughout history, left-handedness has been connected with negative things. For example, the English word “sinister,” which means “threatening,” comes from the Latin word for “left-hand side.” And the English word “gauche” (pronounced GO-SSH), which means “awkward” and “graceless,” comes from the French word for “left.”

But lefties like to celebrate who they are. And on Monday they’ll be celebrating International Left-Handers Day, which began more than 30 years ago. It’s a day to think about the challenges that left-handers face in seemingly simple everyday tasks such as cutting with regular scissors. Another challenge they face is writing with a pen. Because Austen’s hand follows what she has just written, the wet ink is more likely to smear.

“Sometimes I wish I could write with my right hand,” she says. Some friends told her they read that right-handers live longer, but Austen says, “I’m not too worried. I think it depends how well you take care of yourself.” Not everyone likes the attention of being a lefty.