my frustration! left? handed lug nuts

my first car was a 65 valiant barracuda and my grandpa came over to help me with it. we jacked it up and put stands under it. it was gonna be a total restoration with springs for seats and half of the engine missing. so he told me i should start by taking the wheels off. i was 15 and didnt have much knowledge of old cars so i start taking the wheels off and couldn't seam to get the lugs off...he kept telling me to "put out" on it they will come off.. so i kept trying and sure enough it came off.....all of it and he said oh well we can get new ones and on to the next one...after snapping 3 lug studs off my other grandfather...the mechanic...stopped by and said boy what the hell are you doing and he told me they were reverse threads....man i was pissed