Are You Part of this 10% Minority?

I am part of the 10% minority.  Ten percent of what?  Here’s a hint.  I’ve been called a southpaw or a leftie.  Yes, I’m part of the small percentage of people who are left handed.  I’ve smeared my way through plenty of handwritten papers, used scissors incorrectly and awkwardly sat in right handed school desks. Luckily, in the 1950’s, I attended in a public school district where I was not forced to change hands, while my Catholic school friends still were. (One left-handed friend was told by a nun that the devil lived in her, frightening her so much, she didn’t even tell her parents for fear of being abandoned. Yikes!) 

There are all sorts of theories not proven about lefties, such as being more creative and musically talented.  Not necessarily true.  But one thing is known for sure, left handedness is inherited. I know from whom I inherited mine.  My maternal grandmother was left handed.  She had 2 children, 6 grandchildren and 19 gr-grandchildren – 27 descendants. How many are lefties?  Four!  Or 15%!     

How was my grandmother, born in 1899, “allowed” to be left-handed?  For years, I thought she was born right handed, but was switched when she was young. Many times, she told me how she had swallowed lye, left out by her mother who was making soap.  This accident, she said, paralyzed her right side, so she was allowed to use her left hand in school. 

Many years later, long after Grandma had passed, I told this story to family, and saw some very quizzical looks.  Some did not seem to believe the story.  Others questioned, that swallowing lye would cause paralysis.  Burns in her mouth and throat yes.  But not the inability to use one side of her body. I realized, that the second group was probably right.   Even if it had happened, it was short lived.  As an adult, Grandma showed no signs of having right side weakness. But then again, the story might not be true at all.

…until a few weeks ago. 

Recently I found library website (geneseo.advantage-preservation.com/search) where you may use OCR and read old newspapers for Henry County, Illinois, for free. I have lots of family history there and I’ve spent many hours locating obituaries and other genealogical information.  Look what I found from May 1903:

 
So the story itself is TRUE!  Grandma did swallow lye and had to recover from her injuries.  But how does this link to her left handedness?  This is my theory.  Her mother used this incident, either because it was plausible in 1903, or because she truly assumed that it caused Grandma to be a leftie.  I feel my grandmother firmly believed that this was the reason.  Whether it was a made-up reason, or not, it worked.  My grandmother was an early member of the 10% minority.

Does left-handedness run in your family?  Any good stories?