BfrLancMUr Fanning, Saturday, May 23, 1992
The Battle Between Left-Brain And Right Brain Dominance
GAIL E. STROCK
Mifflin Co. Correspondent
“How many of you have your
spices organized alphabetically?”
the speaker asked. Two women
out of 100 raised their hands as the
other 98 laughed and groaned.
“How many of you save a 10”
piece of embroidery floss thinking
you can use that some day?” As
several women raised their hands
others laughed as they recognized
themselves.
“How many of you approach a
yellow light at the intersection and
say, Td bettd slow down.’ How
many say, ‘Go for it.’”
Women attending Spring
Homemakers Day at Hartman
Center in Milroy, Mifflin County,
spent much of the morning laugh
ing and nodding as they saw them
selves through the stories and
characteristics emphasized by
speaker Jane Mecum. As Exten
sion Family Living Agent serving
Perry and Juniata counties, Jane’s
talk, “You’re Driving Me Crazy,”
centered on the tendency in each
of us to be right brained or left
brained, with a final emphasis on
communication.
“What we’re talking about is
functioning from the right or from
the left. We all have a dominant
side. Let’s give you some exam
ples of how you function from the
right or from the left.
“For example, all of you, I
hope, brushed your teeth this
morning. Those of you who are
from the left side picked the tube
up and began squeezing from the
bottom. That is an organized fash
ion. You’re living in a sense of
Left-Brain And Right-Brain
Characteristics
Are you so organized that you drive your spouse crazy? Are the
drawers “stuffed” with anything and everything? If either of these
statements describes you, don’t worry you’re just right brained or left
brained! It will save a few grey hairs and maybe a wrinkle or two. if
you understand which you are and which the rest of the family may
be. The following are some characteristics of each:
LEFT BRAIN DOMINANCE
1. A need to be organized! Clear off the desk, kitchen counter, or
anything else in the house. Everything has a place.
2. A need to organized you!
3. Enjoys rules and then of course follows all the rules. Deadlines
are a must
4. Bases all decisions on facts. No maybes here.
5. Generally not flexible and feels the need to stand firm on a
decision.
6. Bottom line people. Cut through the fancy description and just
get to the end.
7. Usually conservative in nature.
8. Wants things to be in sequence and not out of order.
RIGHT BRAIN DOMINANCE
1. It has been said they “march to the beat of their own drum”.
2. Decisions are generally based on a “feels right” attitude.
3. Loves piles; their piles are organized in a special fashion. If you
ask them for anything, only they can find it - in their piles. Try and
find the wood top of their desk or an empty kitchen chair.
4. Very creative. Minds are always working toward creative
endeavors.
5. Generally agreeable, and loves to be around people. Often will
be spontaneous.
6. Most of these people will many the opposite brain dominance to
help bring order to their own lives.
7. They will buy almost anything! A salesman dream.
8. Simply can’t throw anything away. Last year’s Woman’s Day or
Mechanic can be found some where in the house—ask them to find it
and they can.
We all have a little right and a little left brain working all the time.
But, there are some people, and you know who you are, that are strict
ly right or left brained. If there is a child in the family that seems dif
ferent or you have a spouse that you can’t understand why they
behave a certain way, perhaps they are brain dominated differently
than you. It is important to understand these differences and not try to
change them after all, that is what makes them special. Appreciate
what each family member brings to the family. Learn to cooperative
and negotiate any differences. Remember, YOU ARE TERRIFIC!
Help, You
physics. What you squeeze from
the bottom moves to-the middle,
gently goes to the top and on to
your toothbrush. Life is perfect
“However, those of you who
are right brained grab the tooth
paste in the middle and squeeze.
You just want the toothpaste out
That’s your goal.”
Spring yard work offers its own
examples. The left-brained person
mows a certain way on a certain
day as the tulips that were planted
systematically bloom beautifully.
The right-brained person is just
thankful to get the lawn mowed.
As Mecum complimented
right-brained people on their need
to be organized, she said problems
can arise when they feel the need
to organize you! And you’re func
tioning from the “When I feel like
it” right side of the brain.
To be fair, Mecum stated that
right-brained people are organ
ized, but in their own way. “Their
organization consists of stacks
and you know who you are!”
Mecum joked. Those stacks are
proof that the right-brained person
just can’t throw anything out!
Mecum went on. “How many of
you have husbands who have then
tools organized from the long
screwdriver right down to the tiny
one in order! And if you use
one of those screwdrivers and put
it back just a tad bit different, he
knows it”
In decision making, while left
brainers gather all die facts to
make an informed decision, they
also have a tendency to be less
flexible. A right-brained person
can see both sides of an issue.
Are Driving Me Crazy!
When relating to children,
Mecum warns that most children
function from the right-side of the
brain and that we need patience
and understanding. Take time to
listen to them, Mecum says. They
are not spinning a |png yam just to
annoy you or to waste your time,
they are just expressing their
“little right brains”.
A person functioning from the
right side of the brain tends to be
very creative, agreeable, and loves
attention. They are fun-loving
talkers who are outgoing and love
to do more than one thing at a
time.
Professionally, left brainers
tend to be accountants, research
ers, lawyers, and secondary teach
ers who teach facts. Right brainers
become artists, dancers, writers.
homestead
■ut
WARMING PRECOOKED
FOODS
* Always cover precooked
foods with microwave-safe plastic
wrap, waxed paper or a glass lid.
This will keep moisture in the food
and provide even cooking.
* Heat leftovers and precooked
foods to at least 160 degrees F. If
you do not have a temperature
probe, heat the food until it is very
hot to the touch and steaming.
* Use caution when warming
baby food. Stir toddler foods thor
oughly and taste-test them yourself
for child-safe temperatures. Shake
milk or formula in a bottle before
tasting as it can become extremely
hot.
WHAT UTENSILS, WRAPS
AND COOKWARE CAN
SAFELY BE USED?
Glass and glass ceramic cook
ware are safe for microwave
cooking. But what about other
materials? Use only those contain
ers and products that have been
approved for microwave use.
These items are designed to with
stand the high temperatures possi
ble when cooking foods that have a
high fat or sugar content.
Avoid the use of cold storage
containers such as margarine tubs,
whipped topping bowls and cot
tage cheese cartons. They have not
been approved for microwaving.
and elementary teachers who crea
tively make learning fun for youn
ger children.
While the right brainers can cry
so very easily, many times the left
ones are criticized for not express
ing emotions. “Perhaps,” Mecum
adds, “she is crying in a different
way. A lot of times we don’t
understand how they do express
their feelings. It’s very internal”.
So how does this apply to fami
ly life? The answer is easy to
understand, but harder to put into
practice.
First, understand which type of
person you are. your spouse is,
and your children are. Then com
municate, compromise, and
cooperate.
Mecum suggests that 85 to 90%
of right brainers many a left brain-
c foies
By Doris Thomas
Lancaster Extension
Home Economist
The high heat of the microwave
can cause chemicals to transfer
into the food.
Waxed paper is safe. Other pap
er goods such as paper towels,
plates and napkins have not been
tested for use in microwave cook
ing. If you use paper bowls and
plates, for optimal safety, use only
plain white paper goods. Never use
brown grocery bags or newspap
ers. These contain recycled mater
ials and metals which could start a
fire.
Avoid letting plastic wrap touch
foods during microwaving. It is
okay to cover utensils with plastic
wrap, but unless the wrap is a
heavy-duty type, it could melt-in
contact with hot foods.
Oven cooking bags are safe for
use in the microwave. They are
made from a very tough nylon
material. Oven bags also promote
even cooking, which helps meat
reach safe temperatures
throughout.
You should be aware that there
may be a problem with some
metallic package materials
designed to brown microwave
foods.
These heat "susceptors," thin
films metallized with aluminum,
usually laminated with adhesive
onto paperboard, absorb micro
wave energy to produce tempera-
er because “you need some orga
nization is your life”. Although we
all can function from either side at
any given time, we’re bom favor
ing one side pr the other. The
important thing is to allow the
other person to express their side.
An overly rigid left brainer can
kill the creativity of a right brainer
even causing severe personal
problems, Mecum offers.
No matter which side a person
functions from, and no matter how
much you love your spouse, it is
the little things, like squeezing the
toothpaste, that annoy and create
spats in family life.
“As long as you’re both willing
to give in a little,” Mecum con
cludes, “that’s the key. Be willing
to understand and not to be too
concrete. Communication is the
key."
tunes hot enough to "brown" or
"crisp" foods.
You find them in microwave
popcorn bags, cardboard pizza
crisping platforms and in packages
of microwave French fries, fish
sticks, and Belgian waffles.
While the components of heat
susceptors were originally
approved by the Food and Drug
administration, that okay was
based on usage at temperatures
below 300 degrees F.
FDA is now concerned that
some of the products are reaching
500 degrees F. This could mean
that package components are
breaking down and migrating into
the food itself.
For that reason FDA is asking
the industry and the scientific com
munity for data and other informa
tion to demonstrate the safe use of
these components in heat suscep
tor packaging.
Until a final determination from
safety results is made, you can pro
tect yourself by following these
guidelines:
Follow package directions when
heating microwaveable food with
special browning or crisping
devices in the package. Never try
to reuse these special browning
devices.
Do not eat food from a package
that becomes "charred" in cook
ing. Handle carefully, they become
very hot to the touch and could
cause bums.
Never reuse trays and containers
provided with microwave conve
nience products. They have been
designed for one-time use with that
specific food only.