Growing up there were many things that I realized were done differently by my peers than how I did them. I have always believed that being different isn't a bad thing at all, but when everything is made for right-handed people it gets a little annoying. Everything from writing in a notebook to swinging a baseball bat is a struggle. Learning how to adjust to a dominantly right-handed world takes time with new obstacles everyday. Only about 10 percent of the population uses their left hand. This means that when you meet another lefty you become best friends. Not only do people think that it's weird that you write with your paper side-ways, whenever you write in front of someone new, they make a comment about how surprising it is that you are left-handed. Not only is writing on paper done differently, binders and notebooks are the worst things in the world. I always dread starting a new piece of paper because of the binding. Not only does it get in the way of my hand, it leaves an imprint on my forearm from resting it there while writing. Also, no, my hand is not dirty, it is just smeared pen, pencil or marker. The perpetual temporary tattoo that all left-handed people get is one of the worst things about writing. Not only does everything you have just wrote smear, it ends up on the side of your hand. Learning how to use scissors was basically torture as a small child, especially because most people do not know how to teach a left-handed child how to use something. Just like scissors, sports have always been a struggle. Swinging a bat and kicking a ball are just two of the endless things that lefties do differently while playing sports. More times than not, conforming to the right-handed ways is easier to learn than struggling to survive as the odd one out. By now, I am more ambidextrous than I am a lefty. No, I am not shameful of being left-handed. I am proud of it and wish that more people understood what it takes to be a lefty. Mark your calendars for August 13 which is International Left-Handers Day and show pride and support for all of the lefties in your life and stop the discrimination.