I was looking at Joi’s post about how he was a lefty in Japan and was forced to use his right hand. My story was pretty similar. I was left handed but am of an age where this was frowned upon when I was first schooled in Hong Kong. I was “taught strenuously” to be right handed. 
Now, I function perfectly well using my right hand but I JUST realized that I actually throw better with my left hand. Hmmm…coulda been a basketball star!
My father-in-law was a lefty as well…
Now my 3.5 year old son is showing signs of left-handedness. Besides having to learn to use my Japanese knives (traditionally right beveled–maybe easier to just buy custom left beveled ones) and stuff like scissors, smudging using fountain pens etc…I don’t really see any real issue being a lefty.
What was the big deal? What am I missing here?
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To Daniel Ho,
I believe the big deal dates back to ye olde medieval times, when the (Catholic) church was the defining authority in everything. Being left handed was considered a sign of satanic influence, punishable in all sorts of painful ways, so people either hid it or were forced to use their right hands.
Actually, thinking about it, it probably goes back even further. The latin for “left” is Sinister, and the connection to the English use of “sinister” as in nasty or unpleasant isn’t coincidental. Equally, the latin for “right” is Dexter, which is where we get the English word “dextrous” from.
All very out of date, of course, but even as recently as the 60s this way of thinking was so deeply ingrained as to be doctrine.
(NB this is all off the top of my head, if anyone can back me up or refute I’d love to hear)