Encompassing Designs
  • Home
  • Shop
    • Kits
    • Patterns >
      • Christine Little >
        • Signature Designs
        • New Designs
        • Seasonal Designs
      • Deborah Sweet
      • Susan Leslie
      • Patricia Perry
      • William Morris
    • Supplies >
      • Backings
      • Frames
      • Hooks
      • Books
      • Extra
    • Wool >
      • Abrashed
      • Custom Dyeing
      • Dyed Bundles
      • Dyed Curly Mohair
      • Dyed Spots
      • Dyed Values
      • Dyed Yarn
      • Jacquard Dice Dyes
      • Natural & Colours
      • Plaids & Textures
      • Dye Books & Swatches
  • Ordering
  • Blog
  • Workshops
  • Our Story
  • Contact Us

International Left Handed Day

8/20/2014

2 Comments

 
Picture
I’m a bit late but better that than never.  August 13th was International Left Handed Day.  Being a lefty I feel obliged to acknowledge it; tell my tale of left handed woes.  Funny how times change. A century back I might have been burned at the stake after being accused of dabbling in witchery and today I’m slapped on the back for my right brained talents that flow from my left hand.

It wasn’t long ago I was being beaten across the knuckles with a ruler, yard stick or blackboard pointer, whatever was the closest grab.  All in the name of being forced to conform to a certain way of holding a pencil.   The same ancient school spinster beat my left handed father as well. She was extremely unkind, I never saw her smile until graduation day, probably formed from the joy of getting rid of another classroom of disgusting little seven and eight year olds.  Someone once said she hated children and my experience pretty much backed that up. 

She was a breaker of spirits that one.  If she couldn’t strap the boys into submission it wasn’t from the lack of trying.    I saw more strappings that year than all others combined.  Spare the rod and spoil the child seemed to be her mantra that she practiced often.   This gal was so mean my mother used her as incentive for me to study.   She’d say, “You don’t want to have her as a teacher again do you?”  Boy, such a contrast from today.  No one would allow a brute like that in the school system.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

On several occasions her stern look almost caused my bladder to empty.  The thought of repeating the year under her tutelage was enough to cram in what I needed to know for a passing grade.  The terror I felt as I opened my report card to see whether or not I was doomed for another year of grade three hell, could have been mistaken for a palsy. 

Irene Ernst, the name still makes me quiver.  They say you shouldn't speak ill of the dead but I would really like the chance to talk to her and ask "What were you thinking?" She stigmatized me so badly I never took a left handed seat for the rest of school.  I hid my difference from the world and unless you were paying attention you would never have noticed the flowing letters on my scribbler came from a lefty.   Miss Ernst tried her damnedest to break me, forcing me to hold my writing utensil in the most uncomfortable way, but I rebelled, took the strappings and to this day, my penmanship is as good as any right handed person. 

My dad was a lefty and from an early age I realized his writing was illegible.  Other than his signature, I couldn’t discern a single word.  How he was the secretary for the United Church was astounding because I’m sure no one could read the minutes!  Poor dad, beaten and conformed, he spent his life with wrist bent in the most awkward of positions just to write.   I on the other hand was stubborn enough to resist, although at the time I didn’t think of myself that way.  I truly was frightened, but the agony of conforming was physically real.  While she watched I suffered the archaic belief that we lefties had to do it her way or the highway, and behind her back did it my way.

When I was caught I suffered the whacks and the looks with those piercing eyes over the spectacles and meanness that spewed from her mouth.  I was like a little left handed bug waiting to be crushed by that massive hulk of a woman.   Even though decades have passed, I often think of her as my letters flow across the page.   Some will ask, did a teacher ever change your life?  Well, yes they did, although in a very negative way.....although it had a positive outcome. 


And now we have a special day to commemorate our left handedness....how positively wonderful! 


Picture
2 Comments
Marjorie
8/20/2014 07:07:50 am

I am also a left handed rug hooker. I have never treated any differently at school and really nobody made a big deal about it until I started hooking and my first teacher said, "OH, YOU ARE LEFT HANDED, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN TEACH YOU, I'VE NEVER TAUGHT A LEFT HANDED PERSON. I showed her that it's not bad being left handed and have gone on the be a rug hooking teacher and would never make anyone feel badly for being left handed (or right handed either)

Reply
Susan Doyle
8/20/2014 09:04:17 am

I am also left handed & yes went through the same thing. My Mother is left handed and my Fathers Mother was also left handed. My Dad finally wrote a note to my teacher & told her to leave me alone. I also learned how to write so you could not tell I was left handed. I even learned to use scissors with my right hand so no one would notice.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Christine Little has been ranked #5​ out of the 60 top rug hooking bloggers by Rug Hooking Magazine!

    Picture
    Picture
    Max Anderson, Australia, recipient of my Nova Scotia Treasures rug.  An award of excellence for promoting Canada through his writing.  
    Picture
    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    July 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    July 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012

    Picture
    Picture
    Gift Certificates are available for that special rug hooker in your life!  Any denomination, no expiry date! 

    Picture

    Categories
    (Click on the categories for past blogs)

    All
    Announcements
    Beginner Class
    Christmas
    Colour Planning
    Contests
    Copyright
    Coupon
    Customer Rugs
    Cutter Servicing
    Dyeing
    Equipment
    Featured Hooker
    Giveaway Draw
    Guest Blogger
    Guest Blogger
    Health & Fitness
    Home & Heart
    Hooked Rugs
    Hooking Groups
    Hook In Talk
    Initially Yours
    Jibber Jabber
    Just A Bit Of Fun!
    Life's Experiences
    Life's Experiences
    New Design
    New Ideas
    Pattern Of The Week
    Patterns Hooked
    Pets
    Rants
    Recipes
    Rememberingfbe7326ff7
    Rug Schools
    Show & Tell
    Show-tell
    The Rant
    Tips Technique
    Tips Techniquef0cd117ab4
    Visitors
    Workshops

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture





















    Picture
    We have a pot to "Fiz" in!

Shop Hours:
Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM 
Saturdays 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
We are closed during ice and snow storms
​so please call ahead.  If school is cancelled we probably are as well.  

Toll Free: 1-855-624-0370
Local: 1-902-624-0370​
encompassingdesigns@gmail.com

498 Main Street
P.O. Box 437
Mahone Bay, N.S.
Canada B0J 2E0

​Follow us and keep up to date
on our specials, new products
​and events!
Picture
Picture
Picture


Home
Shop
Ordering
Blog
Our Story
Workshops

Contact Us




​​​© Copyright 2023 Encompassing Designs. Website by SKYSAIL