If you weren’t aware, I am left-handed, which is why I absolutely had to acknowledge that yesterday was International Lefthanders Day!

I love being left-handed and wouldn’t change a thing, but even so, there are a lot of struggles that come with being a “leftie”. Unfortunately, a majority of the population is right-handed, which makes things a lot more accessible for them.

With that said, I’m sharing a few of my struggles that I’ve personally dealt with as a leftie, as well as struggles that I’m sure other lefties can relate to as well! I’m also sharing a list of celebrities who are/were left-handed. This list may just surprise you!

1. Sitting next to people who are right-handed

Something that I, and many other lefties, struggle with is sitting next to people who are right-handed. If there is not enough space, it’s more than likely that you’ll both end up bumping elbows when trying to do anything. I’ve even had a teacher change someone’s seat because there was not enough space for us both to do our schoolwork. It’s a hassle to deal with and can be a little embarrassing if you’re the only person or one of few left-handed people in the room.

2. The shadow when writing

Again, these are some of my personal struggles that I deal with as a leftie, and with how I write, there is a shadow from my hand that makes it hard for me to see what I’m writing. My hand often gets in the way as well which is also something else that makes it hard to see how my writing looks until I’m done.

3. Dealing with pen smudging

To go along with number two, because of my hand placement when writing, it also causes smudging, which is very frustrating. It has even happened with pencils sometimes as well. That’s why it’s important to get good, smudge-free writing utensils as a leftie to lower or eliminate the risk of that happening.

4. The usage of spiral notebooks

I love notebooks and cute stationery, but being left-handed while trying to write with the spirals also located on the left is like a battle! There are different supplies for lefties, such as notebooks, but it is unfortunate that they’re not as accessible everywhere as the regular supplies are. I have yet to try anything that is specifically made for left-handers, but I would love to try them out one day!

5. Struggle using everyday tools

This struggle is sort of an extension of the notebook issue, except that it’s all or most tools. As I stated, there are tools specifically for lefties, but they’re not as accessible. With that said, sometimes using everyday tools like scissors can be very awkward and uncomfortable because they’re made for right-hand usage. Although I’m sure there are physical stores in some areas for lefties, I hope that one day these stores are all over or the products are placed in stores like Walmart and Target.

6. People act as if I’m an alien

Lastly, people act as if I’m an alien sometimes when they see that I’m left-handed! It’s a struggle because…I’m a normal human! I do understand that a large percentage of the world is right-handed, but it’s almost as if left-handed people are from another planet when they see someone who’s left-handed. Sometimes people make me feel like I just did a magic trick when they see me using my left hand. As amusing as it can be at times, I would like to be seen as a regular person that uses their left hand, just as someone who uses their right hand is seen as.

Celebrities Who Are Left-Handed

1. Angelina Jolie
2. Barack Obama
3. Whoopi Goldberg
4. Lady Gaga
5. Morgan Freeman
6. Scarlett Johanson
7. Oprah
8. Jennifer Lawrence
9. Keanu Reeves
10. Jimi Hendrix

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As much as us lefties struggle in our everyday lives sometimes due to lack of accessibility, I’m proud to be left-handed and wouldn’t want it any other way!

Are you left-handed? If so, can you resonate with any of these struggles? Are you surprised by the list of left-handed celebrities?

Let’s chat in the comments!