Hug a Southpaw — Today Is Left-Handers Day!

Growing up as a lefty, I always got a kick out of a framed sign my paternal grandmother had hanging in her house. It read:

"If the left side of your brain controls the right side of your body, and the right side of your brain controls the left side of your body; then only left handed people are in their right mind!"

When she passed away, it was one of two items that I chose to keep to remind me of her. I now have it hanging in my house.

I've always said that lefties are the only minority group in the U.S. that doesn't get any preferential treatment, government subsidization, etc. It truly is a right-handed world, and we're just living in it.

Today, August 13th, is "Left Handers Day." While there are a scant few stores that cater to us "Southpaws" (Ned Flander's "Leftorium," anyone?) it is encouraging to see that we at least have a day dedicated to us.

Surprising, to say the least, since a number of lefties have not only made major contributions to society, but may very well be THE BEST at their specific disciplines.

Quick! Name a famous artist! If you said Michelangelo or Leonardo da Vinci then you might be surprised to note that they were both left-handed.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg probably hates writing on dry erase boards. When it comes to politicians, the left-handers have DOMINATED the White House with four of the last six and five of the last nine U.S. presidents using the "wrong" hand (Ford, Reagan, G.H.W. Bush, Clinton and Barack Obama)

As I perused this list of "Famous Left Handed People, " I noticed that lefties were often not only one of the best but, arguably THE best.

Best baseball player of all-time? "Babe" Ruth. Yup. Lefty.

Best electric guitarist ever? Jimi Hendrix. Left-handed.

Best band? The Beatles. 50 percent from the south-side. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.
(Gotta give an honorable mention to Kurt Cobain)

Late night TV is clearly a left-hander's domain, too. Both David Letterman and Jay Leno hated using spiral bound notebooks.

World conquerors? We got 'em! Napoleon and Julius Caesar, not to mention Fidel Castro and Prince Charles.

The most notorious murderers? Lefties. "Jack-the Ripper" and "The Boston Strangler."

Hell, we even have the best BOWLER ever in Earl Anthony (Eff Dick Webber!) not to mention legendary basketball players Bill Russell and Larry Bird!

When it comes to the silver screen, you might have heard of the following lefties: Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin. Even one of my distant relatives, George Gobel!

Radio broadcasting has always had an inordinate amount of lefties in my 31 year experience. Currently, two of my fellow DJs here at the cluster of radio stations are left-handed -- KFFM Afternoon Drive diva Sarah J and Jim Pearson, host of "The JimShow" on our sister station 92.9 The Bull, are fellow Southpaws!

If that weren't enough to convince you that us lefties really are superior, even into the future, I will leave you with two words: LUKE SKYWALKER (Mark Hamill)