SilentJessica wrote:
The same side, but then they try to wipe the opposite side of their face, so then I try pointing to the mirrored side, and then they finally get the right side.
yes, i'm familiar with that scenario

it feels wrong to say "the left side of your face" while i point to the right side of my face. i don't know why, but i get left and right mixed up very often. it's weird. even when i'm just talking and gesturing, i tend to gesture with the wrong hand first. then i notice it and i'm just as puzzled as the other person. maybe i had trouble with mirroring at first and then i ended up overcompensating as a habit? i don't know. or maybe i'm just naturally confused about it, period. when i'm transcribing something, for instance (like spoken instructions to text, or one language to another), i often get left and right switched in the process. or when i'm processing instructions in my head. i need to check and recheck it to make it sure i got it right, and sometimes it goes unnoticed
i also get lost easily (one of the many reasons why i would be a very bad driver if i insisted in driving. i have a driver's license, but i never used it). i need to check my position on a map at every turn when i'm going somewhere new. when it's not an option, i ask for directions at every turn or every time i feel like i'm getting farther from my destination. people will always try to explain the whole path, but i just listen to the first thing they say (the direction i need to go from that point, and the first turn i need to take). then i just nod and smile and wait for them to finish explaining the whole path, and i ask them again about the first direction/turn, to make sure i got it right. then i walk to that point (or until i feel like i'm lost), look for another friendly stranger, ask for directions, rinse and repeat until i get to my destination. it's surprisingly effective