As I was reading in this excellent novel [Alone in the Classroom] by an author [Elizabeth Hay] who lives in my very city, the following passage made me stop and think a bit:She smiled and gave him one of her winks. She could wink either eye with equal ease, a rare and enviable talent.
A rare and enviable talent?
Maybe it is!
But I've always been able to wink with either eye so readily that I guess I just assumed that everyone could do so. I've heard it said that owls are the only other animal that winks as we do, with the upper eyelid descending to meet the lower one. [That also seems strange to me. Don't dogs and cats and cows and stuff do the same thing?] At any rate, I thought I would throw this question out there and see what the consensus is out in Blogland.
Can you wink with either eye? Or only left eye, right eye?
Hopefully you can at least close both of them at the same time!
As seen above, Natalie Portman is pretty good with the left one. Talented, even!
Wow, if she winked at me like that -- I would seriously set my book aside!
*****
I can wink with either eye. I never thought it was unusual. My father can't; he can only wink one eye. He has to hold down the other one by itself to make a wink! I always thought he was the odd one in this regard- maybe not?
ReplyDeleteI thought that everyone could wink with both eyes as I've always been able to do it without thinking about it. So, I learned something today too, a good day :-)
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it, not everyone can roll their tongue either.
And, I can (very slowly, but getting better) do a vulcan salute with my left hand, but there's not much hope for my right hand, despite me being right handed.
Live long and prosper.
Left eye only, and it still ticks me off when my wife winks with either eye. Hey, but I can wiggle my ears...
ReplyDeleteBoth - but better with the right!
ReplyDeleteI can wink with both eyes and never realized there are some who can't. I can also raise either of my eyebrows singly, Spock-like though I know many people can't do one which makes my husband crazy and leads him to rolling his tongue in response which I can't do.
ReplyDeleteI can wink with either eye as well and didn't know this was unusual. I'm not as talented as Stefanie with the eyebrows though - jealous of that. But I have much talent with the Vulcan salute if that counts for anything. :)
ReplyDeleteI can winks with both eyes but neither of my two sons can. They each can only manage one which means they each inherited one side from me I suppose! I can only raise my right eyebrow on it's own, not my left. My son can move his ears or shift his entire scalp around which is very disturbing to watch.
ReplyDeleteI can do the vulcan salute with either hand but I believe they only use their right hand to do it. Like a hand shake.
Your homie of course has other talents which I just won't mention here... I'm not sure it would be appropriate.
C.
Dear Double-Winkers:
ReplyDeleteJeane, Eva, Beth, Stefanie, Alyce and C -- see what I mean? I don't think it is all that "rare" of a thing.
So far Sam is the only non-ambidextrous winker among us. But he has this other Eeyore-like talent -- ear wiggling.
Vulcan salutes to ye all!