SWITCHING HANDS

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As a pastoral counselor I have met with multiplied thousands of men, women and children over the course of thirty plus years, (and count it a privilege to have done so).

And, as you might imagine, it has been necessary to gather a great deal of information during the first session, if I am to understand my clients' issues and needs, and intervene for them.

I don't recall when I made a decision to become ambidextrous, nor do I know what percentage of counselors have done the same thing, but it seemed to be a logical idea.

I would learn to write with not only my dominant hand, but my non-dominant hand, and thus prevent writer's cramp during the information gathering process. 

Of course, as you might imagine, there were a couple of initial results of my attempt to switch hands. 

During the first several failed and almost futile attempts, I almost decided to stay with my dominant hand. Not only was I unable to keep up with the information my clients' were in the process of recounting, and which I had been attempting to transfer to paper, but my left-handed handwriting was virtually indistinguishable from "chicken scratch."

However, over time my non-dominant cursive improved, and though slow-going, I was relatively pleased with the results of my efforts. 

Speaking of the initial, (and ongoing), results of my efforts, whereas my clients didn't always verbalize their curiosity, their eyes often widened when I switched hands in the middle of a written sentence.

I admit, I became progressively pleased with my time and efforts. My left-handed cursive has never been quite as fast as that of my right hand, (nor would I have expected it to be). However, strangely enough, the handwriting of my dominant hand and non-dominant hand looked nothing alike; (perhaps the result of using different portions of my brain).

Whereas, my natural handwriting is masculine, (but nothing to brag about), my newfound, non-dominant handwriting is feminine, and somewhat like calligraphy. 

However, as Paul Harvey was prone to say, 

..."and now the rest of the story."

For you see, as time progressed my non-dominant hand became my dominant hand, (and vice versa). At this stage, I rarely write with my right hand, as the cursive of my formerly dominant hand has become almost illegible. And when I do use my right hand, there is a noticeable tremble. Not only so, but when I am writing with my left hand, I sense a slight tremor in my right hand. 

I have obviously rewired the synapses which control each of my hands with the foregoing, unexpected results. I have often asked myself, 

"Had I to do it over, would I do it over?"

After all this, given the pluses and minuses, I can truthfully say,

I think I would.

by Bill McDonald, PhD