Johns Hopkins University

I was born with an extra hand—kind of. Anatomically, I’m normal. I don’t have a third arm protruding from the center of my chest or anything of the sort. I do, however, have the unusual ability to use both hands equally well. When I was little, I thought of my ambidexterity as a fun trick. I always liked to play with people when learning a new skill: “Okay, now are you right or left handed?” “I don’t know,” I would answer with a comical smile. Or even better, “Pick one for me.” It’s a bit silly, but I enjoyed the simple satisfaction of being different. For me, ambidexterity has always meant…