mel jacobson on sat 15 apr 00
potters are sorta lucky. we use both hands all the time
in the pottery. get to know our way around clay.
but, we older lefties had a rough go as kids. i still search
old cemeteries in the area, looking for names of teachers
that smacked me around, made fun of me. (gonna pee on their
graves.)
'you don't cut right.' start again.
of course i had a right hand scissors in my left hand.
and the ruler was backward for me. often still have
to read the numbers upside down on a right hand tape.
never could read what was on a pencil...tigonderoga no 2, upside
down and backwards. (try it you righties, put in your left hand
and read the writing)
anyway, always want lefties to throw like everyone else. never had
a problem teaching all lefties in my class. they soon got it...and
threw well.
the problem for me was going out and demoing...most wheels go
counter in america. what do you do when you have a wheel that
does not go clock.....i know, change the motor settings...two hots
changed around, but, what a pain in the ass that is for one demo.
so, i just learned normal. it makes sense to me.
donald jackson, scribe to the queen, will not let lefties use the
left hand pen...he just puts the pen in their right hand. they
do a superb job. it is so new, the mind just does letters with
the right. it works. remember, calligraphy is not hand writing.
it is constructed lettering. he is very patient with them, helps them
along with a great deal of encouragement. remember, when using
ink, the left hand drags through the wet ink. writing was made
for right handed people, we lefties had to adapt.
of course getting smacked around as a kid in school because you
did not have the correct tool has always been a grinder for me.
maybe it helped me be a better, more sensitive teacher. perhaps.
anyway, one thing that did help me in school. when in a fight,
the right hand guys never saw that left hand coming...nailed
them every time. that left hand got me out of a lot of scrapes.
mel/mn
bacia sent me a funny lefty story too. got me thinking.
minnetonka, minnesota, u.s.a
http://www.pclink.com/melpots (website)
KYancey on sun 16 apr 00
Hey Mel,
As a lefty, I do most everything in a left handed way. I kick a ball with
my left foot and even look through a microscope with my left eye. Yet, I
throw on the wheel counterclockwise and feel quite comfortable that way. My
Shimpo has a reversing switch so changing the direction is easy.
> and the ruler was backward for me. often still have
> to read the numbers upside down on a right hand tape.
>
> never could read what was on a pencil...tigonderoga no 2, upside
> down and backwards. (try it you righties, put in your left hand
> and read the writing)
I wonder if that's why I did so well at the newspaper when I worked in the
Lineotype (hot lead) dept. If I spilled a galley of type, it was quicker for
me to put it together than to have it re-typed.
> anyway, one thing that did help me in school. when in a fight,
> the right hand guys never saw that left hand coming...nailed
> them every time. that left hand got me out of a lot of scrapes.
Not me! I always got my butt beat. I learned to either be a fast runner
(which didn't happen) or make friends with the biggest, meanest, ugliest,
(sorry Alan) SOB in school. (which did happen).
Ken
SAM YANCY on mon 17 apr 00
Thanks for the words on lefties.
Being lefthanded, I totally understand
what you're talking about.
I play the guitar right handed
and I know that it's taken longer
because of my right hand
doing the strumming - just
not a lot of cordination I guess.
And although we have the option
on our potter wheel's I throw right handed.
Lefties - if a study be made would
probably come up as well adjusted folks
cause we've been adjusting since
we learned how to write.
Mary Jean in the wet and chilly
San Francisco bay area.
Rick Hugel on tue 18 apr 00
I do most things with my right hand - swing a bat, throw a ball, use tools
- but have always written with my left hand. It has caused me some
difficult moments - marching in the military, following/giving directions
to some location - because I cannot make an automatic reaction between
right and left. I must always make a conscious effort in deciding one from
the other. But in potting I have found that being able to use both hands a
real advantage, especially when using a brush for under/over glazing. I
have watched other potters, painters, sculptors twist/turn/sidestep and
generally put their whole body askew in order to use their right hand to
reach and angle to do a bit of detail work, whereas I just view things from
either a right handed or left handed action, switch the brush to that hand
and do it. So whenever someone comments "How do you write with your left
hand?" , I just think -- Because I'm one of the lucky people!
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Thanks for the words on lefties.
>Being lefthanded, I totally understand
>what you're talking about.
>I play the guitar right handed
>and I know that it's taken longer
>because of my right hand
>doing the strumming - just
>not a lot of cordination I guess.
>
>And although we have the option
>on our potter wheel's I throw right handed.
>
>Lefties - if a study be made would
>probably come up as well adjusted folks
>cause we've been adjusting since
>we learned how to write.
>
>Mary Jean in the wet and chilly
>San Francisco bay area.
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