One thing I’ve never understood was why my teachers and the New York City educational system decided that because my writing was terrible, I wasn’t very bright. I mean, it’s true that as a left-hander, my writing more resembled squiggles and hieroglyphs than English writing, but did they ever listen to me speak, express my ideas, or respond to their questions? Seemingly, not. By the second year of high school, I was tired of being held back in grades and warehoused.
I first retreated to a friendly pool hall during school hours, but then I relocated to Greenwich Village to do an internship in performance, independent survival, and the Blues.
Cacography
I understand the term for my “style” of handwriting is cacography, sounds like something else that’s unappealing too, doesn’t it? Actually, years after New York City, when I had started working in the Operating Room and on medical surgical floors in the hospital, my cacography came in handy. Of course, I could read my own cacographic writing! But the nurse couldn’t read the scrawl of the doctor. So there I was with the nurses attempting to coax understanding out of cacography as bad or worse than mine.
So what I don’t understand is why my skills at decoding the arcane were not appreciated at school? The only explanation I can think of that explains it is one I’ve long harbored: a lack of intellectual capacity among the teachers. It’s so sad. A poverty of intellect…
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Nice job combining all the prompts 🙂
The boy on the right with three hands…I want to see his handwriting! 😂
WP is not letting me leave a comment no matter what I do — I just want to say (hoping commenting on Lois’ comment will work) it’s bizarre how lefties were treated back in the day.
Several of us have been discussing these sorts of issues with WordPress. I had to hijack a comment from someone the other day to make a comment to you. It’s becoming a PIA!
It’s a sad case, Lois. Three hands and three feet. His nickname was Tripod. But he was very handy in Shop class; he always had an extra hand…
hahah! Good one, Lou!!
I remember my Mom saying that if someone was left handed and you forced them to use the right, they would get heart problems!
I also heard the same, and my parents stopped the nuns from tying my left hand behind me and maaking me use my right.