At the ripe old age of **, I started back to school. Before registering for classes, I had to take a test to see where I should be placed in Math and English. The English part was a piece of cake so that concerned me NOT at all. Even as I type this, I am more conscious about my "writing"! :)) However, the Math was an entirely different story. Let me preface this by saying that on the night of my first college math class a few weeks back, the instructor had us fill out a student profile sheet. One of the questions she asked was when we had taken our last math class. She walked by me and picked up my paper and said and I quote, "Man, I was 3 when you took your last math class"!! Yep - I knew I was in trouble!
So, in order to explain my relationship with Math, let me go back a "few" years. I grew up going to an ACE school for most of my years so Math was a little interesting. Starting out wasn't so bad. I had a teacher or two who thought I was short and cute and pretty much let me do whatever so I just flew right on through my Paces. Then along about 9th grade, reality slapped me full in the face! I took Algebra and literally failed every single Pace and some of them more than once. The funny thing is that I took this stuff along with my brother and a friend who did somewhat better than me but if you mention Algebra to Jim and I, we both shudder with nightmarish memories! I HATED that stuff with a passion!!! Then our family moved to Indiana about half-way through my 10th grade year and I headed off to Westfield to UBC (at that time UBS) to finish my high school. Imagine my shock when the principal (who eventually became my father-in-law) told me I needed to take a semester of Algebra! Are you kidding me???? I struggled enough with that stuff - why torture me again?? But, I did it. Oh man - my poor teacher tried and tried to help me with that stuff. I had a best friend and room-mate in Carolyn who tried to help me. An "old flame" tried to help me and even my poor friend Dave who eventually won my heart tried to help me! It just was NOT sinking into this brain. One day, I finally "got it" to a point and managed to actually pull off a B in that class.
One step further down the road and I find out that my 11th/12th grade year would be spent in a way that I still want to poke my eyes with a needle when I think about it. Every Tuesday and Thursday found me sitting in a Geometry class with the same poor teacher who tried to teach me Algebra. What a great help it was to have 2 of the smartest guys in our high school and the same dear friend Carolyn in the class along with me! NOT!!!!!!!! I cannot even begin to tell you how much I hated that class. That year, Geometry was all about solving theorems and they all had anywhere from 3 to 5 or 6 steps. I could usually get the first 2 and from there - nope, not happening! Somehow, someway, I managed to survive that class with a C, graduated and shouted happy hallelujah like a mad woman!
Now, fast forward about 23 or so years and imagine me sitting in a Math class happily buzzing along relearning fractions, percents, decimals and completely thinking, "Hey - I can do this"! And then, I turn to chapter 7 and what to my wondering eyes should appear but GEOMETRY!! I wanted to pick up the book and throw it at the tall, beautiful, skinny blond at the front of the room who also happens to be the very patient instructor of the class. I am NOT handling this very well and am praying that God will somehow make NONE of that appear on the two chapter test I have to take this Thursday night!!! But, I am sure I will not be that lucky!
The saga of Leah and Math will continue on for another 2 semesters and I am sure that means there will be more than one blog based on the horrors of Math. So pardon me while I go find some huge piece of chocolate to consume and no, I couldn't care one little bit what its perimeter or area is as long as it starts out by being too big to fit through the door!!!!!
