Thanks For The Lesson DD

I read this quite brilliantly interesting post by DD the other day and learned some good quality knowledge.

The first thing I learned was about DD's shopping habits. A tad metrosexual if you ask me. The Bodyshop things, the cotton buds and the honey and ginger shampoos are all a bit suspicious, though I know there are girls involved in DD's household so they may well be the cause of this.

The second bit of knowledge gleaned was about DD's haemorrhoids. I'm not one to disclose the secrets of others but, as he's now blogged about it, I figure it's okay. Yes, old DD went and bought three packets of Farmer Giles cream. That's a serious case. If I bump into DD on a London street I'll be sure to walk a fair distance behind him. Keep clear and don't give him a friendly pat on the bum is my advice.

The third thing I learned was something I'm slightly ashamed and embarrassed about. You see, for as long as I can remember I've been keenly interested in the workings of the brain. I've read up on many aspects of the old grey matter, from psychology to the different types of intelligence. I don't claim to be an expert, just a chap who's fascinated and captivated by these things.

If you're in need of even the mildest form of brain surgery then I'm not the person to come to. I might be able to write a slightly humorous blog post about it afterwards or bash out a half decent groove on the operating table while the Doctors are doing their thing, but that's about it.

However, start a conversation about brains, minds and intelligence and I'll be first in the queue to buy tickets and listen to the experts.

So, back to DD's post. I read his bit about the left brain and the right brain. It was something I already knew but wait, I thought, he's only gone and got it the wrong way around. He said that the right brain is:

"Random, Intuitive, Holistic, Synthesizing, Subjective, Looks at wholes."

and the left brain is:

"Logical, Sequential, Rational, Analytical, Objective, Looks at parts."

Now, for many years I've "known" that the right brain is the logical bit, the one that deals in objective and analytical what nots. The right brain is what accountants have bulging out of their ears because it's so massive and dominant. Not to mention the fact that DD spelt "holes" wrong and went and put a W in front of it, but I shan't mention that.

I've also known that the left brain is the more creative and arty side. It's the part of the brain that is all about creativity and feelings, emotions and gut feelings. It's the side that's dominant in photographers and painters, in brilliant musicians and even some guitarists.

I'd gone through the last fifteen years with the knowledge that all my life I'd developed and pushed my right brain, the logical side. It was only once I started playing the drums that I discovered the joy I get from using my arty and creative left brain and thought that I'd found my vocation.

I did the only logical thing. I googled "left and right brain" to find out for sure. DD's post was informative and interesting but I had to let him know his mistake, purely for invalidation purposes.

Of course, as I bet you know already, my googling showed that DD was indeed correct, that for all this time I had got it the wrong way around. Indeed the right side of the brain is the arty and creative part, the section that looks at holes. The left side is the logical and objective and rather boring part. I stood corrected.

Unless of course, my own brain has been installed the other way around. It could explain many things, particularly my propensity to talk out of my arse.