Mirror, Mirror

What happens when you try to fix your hair, or put make up on your face, using a mirror? 

Is this job a cinch, or do you have severe difficulty touching the exact spot you want to, using the mirror as guide?

Do you raise your right hand [if you know which is your right hand] and are totally confused when you see your reflection raise what appears to be its left hand?

Directionally challenged people tend to be very confused by mirrors. Imagine wanting to fix your hair on the right side of your head, but every time you try to do so, your hand ends up on the left side of your head!

Mirrors are tricky gadgets for us because we're already confused about what is left and what is right. Add to that confusion the fact that the mirror we're looking at will flip right to left and vice versa. Even if you know right from left, this can be confusing, but it is daunting for us, directionally challenged people.

So, what can we do to combat this confusion? Here are a few tips that "I've found helpful:

            -  Use markers for one hand or side. Wear a bracelet on one hand, or a ring on a finger of one hand

            -  Practice makes perfect. Regular use of the mirror will help you remember which side gets touched, when you raise a particular hand

            - Create and use little jingles to help you remember. Here's one:

When I wave my right, the mirror waves too,

But it looks like the left, only that’s not true!
When I touch my left cheek, it seems to be,
Over on the right -  that’s what I see

Whatever you do, Do Not blame yourself for your lack of orientation. Remember, your inability is not about intelligence. It's just that your brain processes spatial information differently. The important thing is to accept this fact and endeavor to find new ways to navigate. Whenever you find one, reward yourself with a big smile in the mirror! And share your successes with others who are not doing so well.

Oh, how I long for the day when directional challenge is fully recognized as a condition that affects a large percentage of the world's population! I need to get this message out to all the world! I need your help. I need your voice. I need your support. Won't you join me in this endeavor?

I hope you will.

E.P.G.


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