“Traditions are the guideposts driven deep in our subconscious minds. The most powerful ones are those we can even describe, aren’t even aware of.” -- Anonymous
I have become hyper-aware of my right hand. Traditionally in Ghana, the left hand is thought to be used solely for dirty things, like self-cleaning or other private matters. Therefore, it’s considered insulting to greet a person with your left hand or give someone something with that dirty ole’ lefty of yours. Don’t wave with it, give out money with it, or eat with it. I have seen people not accept money or paperwork of some sort because it was given to them with a left hand. After some time, it has become the norm for me. I find myself noticing others as well now. It’s like when you find a grammatical error on a billboard or a restaurant menu, you kind of gawk for a minute and feel embarrassed for the person’s error. Yesterday I taught a lesson at the primary school here on my college campus and I said good-bye to some of the students by shaking their hands. However, my right hand was holding up a pile of books, so I used my left. Guilt washed over me immediately! I quickly switched the books to my left hand and continued on with the obruni-worship session. (The kids are enthralled with me – still, after months!)
So what do you do if you are left-handed you might ask? It seems you suffer a bit. My friend Juliana’s oldest son is left-handed. He is 5 years old and at his first school, he was scolded and beaten because he was using his left hand. Juliana is a very modern-day Ghanaian woman and this simply infuriated her, so she removed her child from that school. She could care less if he uses his left hand, so she has let nature take its course and the kid is left-handed. Good for her! Love some progressivism in action.
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