I’m doing a little happy dance. There are 26 left-hand pages in my thesaurus; only eleven of them have entries that start with “de.” I chose the eleventh, and so I’m able to combine the two posts (SoCS and A-Z) into one. Was it dexterity that allowed me to pick a good page? Nah. Blind luck.
Nimble-fingered – that’s me of late. With my shoulder problems (it’s now frozen, by the way. I’m waiting to get a call from the hospital to go for a combination ultrasound/steroid shot) I’ve had to learn ambidexterity. I can’t write with my left still, but I’m learning to eat with it. You think you can use your left hand to manoeuvre a fork but if you’re right handed it means you’ve got a knife in your right hand to help your left out. Without the knife, you use your right. Right? Try using your left hand next time you eat something like macaroni. It’s not as easy as it sounds.
I look to try to be dexterous in many aspects of my life. Some of its synonyms are clever, handy, neat and proficient. Proficiency is such a handy skill to have. (Is that redundant?) I attempt always to cut down on the steps it takes to do something. Tidiness depends on it. Never going up the stairs empty-handed is something I strive for.
And with writing too – less is more. Proficiency or dexterity in grammar makes the difference between something that’s easily readable and text that goes on forever, saying nothing or worse, repeating itself.
How do you strive to be dexterous?
This post is part of SoCS:
Please join in today!! https://lindaghill.com/2015/04/03/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-april-415/
And the A-Z Challenge:


April 5, 2015 at 5:17 pm
I can smooth a pants leg with my left hand while ironing with my right without burning myself – that is the extent of my dextrous talent – 🙂 LOL
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April 7, 2015 at 2:55 pm
Ha! That’s one you don’t muck up twice, eh? Been there. 😛
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April 7, 2015 at 10:13 pm
Ummm….no….I’ve managed to burn myself repeatedly by trying to iron pants (and shirts) – even when! I purchased said clothing at higher price specifically because they advertise “No Ironing Needed” … Alas, you can spend money on technology and there are still those in your ‘circle’ of ‘put up with’ that demand you iron, even when you expressly paid every price you knew how, to not have to – sigh….. Working on Forgiving skills this decade, instead of “Ironing without incurring life-long burn scars” LOL But yes – burning myself less until I learn how to ignore/forgive the observations of others – – LOL (I may be daft, but Seriously – who irons T-shirts? THIS is the mindset of those who demand I iron – they iron t-shirts – I’d love to say they are bored and have little imagination of what to do with their life, but, after all, what do I know?!?
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April 7, 2015 at 10:16 pm
I used to know someone who ironed his t-shirts. Seemed like a waste of time to me too, so you’re not alone.
*buys you oven mitts for Christmas*
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April 5, 2015 at 2:31 am
Hmmmn. I can eat macaroni just fine with my left hand…it’s my right that won’t cooperate!
I try to be dextrous by combining and moving toward multiple goals with each project. Like making my SoCS prompt a snippet from my NaNo novella (already had a D post, alphabetically speaking), and then realizing the process of writing it gave me an idea for my ROW80 sponsor post….
I also strive to be attentive and present, but also to give myself plenty of time to spend in my interior spaces.
I hope your shoulder is unstuck soon!
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April 7, 2015 at 2:51 pm
You, my dear Shan, are the best multi-tasker I’ve ever met. 🙂
Thanks very much for your well-wishes!
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April 7, 2015 at 3:08 pm
I think I have a multi-stream brain! =)
Just don’t ask me to eat macaroni with my right hand. Epic fail!
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April 7, 2015 at 3:09 pm
Haha! Okay then! 😉
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April 4, 2015 at 9:19 pm
Never go up the stairs empty handed. I like that.
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April 7, 2015 at 2:14 pm
It’s great if you can remember. 😛
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April 4, 2015 at 6:54 pm
I think a video of your alledged happy dance would be a good example of your dexterity Linda.
Happy Easter…
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April 7, 2015 at 2:13 pm
Ha! Not on your life. 😉
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April 4, 2015 at 4:41 pm
Good use of the prompt. I’m a right handed person and did break my right arm in high school. Doing the left handed thing taught me to take care of the right.
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April 7, 2015 at 2:12 pm
Heh. Yeah. I’ll be taking very good care when I get better (positive thinking there). In the meantime I’m being careful with the left as well. 😛 No one wants to be armless after all. 😉
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April 4, 2015 at 1:54 pm
I do strive to be dexterous with grammar. It’s such a wonderous thing! My favourite dexterous practice is to pick up objects with my toes.
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April 7, 2015 at 2:09 pm
Oooh, that’s a good skill to have! Not one I’d ever want to need though. 😛
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April 4, 2015 at 12:56 pm
So hard!!! When my wrist and hand were broken, I had a very difficult time. Use one hand? No thanks. I have to use dexterity when I blow dry or use a hot iron on my hair. One hand tries to help the other and both hands mess it up, every time! Enjoyed your Soc, Linda!
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April 7, 2015 at 2:08 pm
Thanks, Leigh! There are so many things I simply can’t do anymore – anything that requires reaching to my right or above my head and most too that I need two hands for. It really sucks!
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April 4, 2015 at 12:48 pm
I have had shoulder pain and know it can get pretty bad. I hope the injection gives your relief and you get some physical therapy to help loosen it up, gently. I know I would struggle greatly using my left hand.
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April 7, 2015 at 2:03 pm
Thanks, Deborah. 🙂 It was a struggle at first, but it’s easier every day to use my left.
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April 4, 2015 at 12:32 pm
Frozen shoulder can really cripple. I’ve had it for over a year now. It’s improved enough where I can use it somewhat, but shows no sign of improving further. I hope yours has a better prognosis, because mine seems like it will be an issue for the rest of my life.
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April 7, 2015 at 1:59 pm
Yeah, I’ve heard that can happen. Sorry you’ve had a tough time of it Glazed – I can’t imagine going through the rest of my life like this.
Thanks for your well wishes. 🙂
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April 4, 2015 at 12:31 pm
I really wished to be left-handed at one point. I tried and tried to write – it wasn’t all that bad. And then, laziness took over 😛
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April 7, 2015 at 1:53 pm
Yep, it’s just so much easier to use the dominant hand unless you’re forced to do otherwise.
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April 4, 2015 at 12:24 pm
I try this a lot because it engages the right side of my brain and it’s a good idea to keep them both strong, but it’s a comedy to watch as I struggle with it. My grandmother had to learn to use her right after several strokes. I was always impressed at how well she adapted. She was amazing.
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April 7, 2015 at 1:52 pm
It’s really amazing how much easier it is to adapt when you have no choice. It did take a while for the pain to teach me to stop trying to use my right hand though.
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April 7, 2015 at 3:43 pm
Yeah. Pain is often a very good motivator, unfortunately. I wish I’d have been older and understood better how difficult it was for her. 😦
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April 4, 2015 at 11:41 am
@willowdot21, of course you can grab the BATZAP badge.
@Linda, when I had a frozen shoulder (i.e., rotator cuff), it took 12 weeks of physical therapy 3x a week to get it working again. As former US president Bill Clinton used to say, as he bit down on his lower lip and bore a grimace on his face, “I feel your pain.”
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April 7, 2015 at 1:50 pm
Twelve weeks of physio doesn’t seem that bad considering when I googled the problem I found it would take 12 to 18 months. One question – how long did it take for the excruciating pain to dissipate?
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April 7, 2015 at 2:24 pm
A long time. It wasn’t until I was close to the end of the PT before I was able to have full motion in my arm and shoulder without it hurting so bad that it would literally bring tears to my eyes. And I’m a pretty stoic guy.
That was PT 3x a week for 12 weeks, by the way. Plus daily exercises at home.
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April 7, 2015 at 2:31 pm
Yep, I’m with you on the tears. Being doubled over in pain ain’t fun.
Thanks for letting me know what I’ve got to look forward to… It’ll be worth it though. ‘Coz this sucks donkey balls.
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April 4, 2015 at 11:24 am
I guess,if you’re real hungry you could just your hands but then that would be messy now wouldn’t it? I happened to use my D word for SoCS !! 🙂
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April 7, 2015 at 1:47 pm
Yeah… I had enough of cleaning pasta sauces of all kinds off my kids’ hands to last me a lifetime. 😛 Glad I could help you out with the two prompts at once! 🙂
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April 4, 2015 at 10:59 am
At the ripe old age of 57 i am still working on being uni- dexterous. In fact dexterousness in general eludes me. ha! Of course, i’m still deciding what I want to be if i grow up.
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April 6, 2015 at 2:04 pm
Ha! I like the “if” I grow up. If you haven’t already, don’t count on it Paul. Celebrate it!
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April 7, 2015 at 4:51 pm
You know you’re getting old Linda when you bend over to pick something up and your first thought is “Is there anything else I should do while I’m down here?”
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April 7, 2015 at 4:55 pm
Hahaha! I’m right there with ya half the time. 🙂
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April 4, 2015 at 10:37 am
My father was ambidextrous. I can do a good many things with my left hand, but I’m not sure about eating macaroni. I will give that a try though (when I’m alone). Great prompt today.
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April 4, 2015 at 10:42 am
Thanks, Dan. 🙂 Good luck with the macaroni – don’t starve! hehe
I’ve always wanted to be ambidextrous. It’s a useful skill. 🙂
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April 4, 2015 at 10:28 am
Dexterous I am grateful to just keep upright at the moment! Great idea to do both challenges in one! I love that Batzap logo I know I am unofficially doing the A to Z but cant I used the batzap ..PLEASE pretty PLEASE!! xxxx
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April 4, 2015 at 10:32 am
I don’t think Doobster would mind. Visit this post to choose one: http://mindfuldigressions.com/2015/04/03/c-is-for-carried-away/
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April 4, 2015 at 10:34 am
Thanks Linda I shall ask him if it’s okayxxxx
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April 4, 2015 at 10:36 am
Good luck! I’m sure he’ll say yes. 😀
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April 4, 2015 at 10:42 am
Thanks Linda!
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