So, I think I've discussed this in a number of other posts, most notably here, but me and math are not the best of friends. To my credit, I did make it through half of high school pre-calculus--passing, but upon the advice of one of the wisest teachers I had,(that's right San Dieguito alum, the extremely unflappable Mr. Close) I spent the last semester of my senior year doing something fun instead of struggling through one more semester of WTF. (Note: that does not stand for Whiskey That Flows.)To reiterate--I CAN do math. In my head even. Just not quickly. My answers are usually correct, even without a calculator. I mean, I do keep the books here at home--both personal AND business. Not to mention the algebraic and geometric equations involved in my sewing and pattern-making. I recognized my weaknesses early, and learned to work with them in order to complete those UC high school requirements. It CAN be done, it just took work. And sobriety.
It was a shame, though. I loved science. Still do. Biology and animal sciences were a blast. Chemistry and physics--not so much. The difference? Math. As much as my physics teacher George Stimson was a favorite (whose style I even emulated in my own classroom), I rarely understood what the hell he was talking about. I managed to pass his class, with a C even, but LORD was that a nightmare. If you're old enough to take a physics course, you're old enough to drink in my book. Or as I preferred, old enough to have a drink right next to my book.
(I should report though, that I had nothing but A's in geometry. The only math class at which I kicked ass. Prolly because it was the kind of math in my wheel house and I could fall back upon my near-professional skills at a Spirograph.)
Now, I should also report that I am not a family anomaly. There has been a great deal of struggling with math on my mother's side of the family. No flunking, just struggling. Some did better than others, but we all learned to get over the hump and at least work it out. So, I always worried that my own progeny would have this same issue, this same set of problems.
But something in my gut tells me it won't be a problem for my little man. He took to number aptitude early, and he has nowhere to go but up. I am predicting that he will be a pattern thinker, which may lend to art, music or math. I don't know what direction it will take him, but I think numbers will be involved. Not a surprise, since his old man can sit at a poker table and predict other people's hands and instantly calculate the odds of winning. He tried to explain it to me a few times. HAH! *wipes a tear* THAT was a good time.
So here's to all you folks to whom math came easy. And more to those of you who worked past personal limitations to make it work for you. And to Jillsmo, who works with numbers professionally: don't mock me too mercilessly. Or I'll drink all your liquor. Even the 750 mL bottle you hide behind your old physics textbook.
