Have I mentioned that I suck at math?
Well, I do.
Absolutely and incontrovertibly.
It's not the logic or the functions -- I actually rock at algebraic, geometric, and trigonometrical reasoning. It's the numbers.
I cannot process basic arithmetic operations without utilizing every single one of my fingers and toes. (Even if I'm solving for "2 + 3 = __")
I blame third grade. Our teacher was a big fan of this math game that put you on the spot in front of your peers and didn't let you down until you were the first one to answer correctly. It was intended to build our enjoyment of math. All I gained was the certain knowledge that one can survive abject public humiliation -- AND how to it feels to have your brain completely freeze…
Eventually, of course, I did learn better coping skills. But to this day, my brain still stutters when I'm asked to do anything involving numbers.
So imagine if you will…
He'd promised to make me fly -- and hoooboy, did he. But while I was soaring in the stratosphere, he decided to check on me -- in an entirely different way than he has ever used before:
"One to ten, how are you doing?"
*glaze*
"No, come back down here to me and answer...
One to ten, how are you doing?"
*blink*
*blink*
("oh. he's talking to me…")
"One to ten, Jz..."
*blink*
*blink*
*slight focus*
("crud -- he want numbers…")
"One. To. Ten…"
"e-e-e-i-i-i-g-h-t"
"OK, good...
now back to business..."
*stuff, stuff, stuff*
*WHACK! WHACK!*
*eep!*
He is perfectly satisfied and has moved on.
My sluggish brain is still creaking…
("eight is between one and ten, isn't it…?")
I'd call him on this nasty trick -- but why give a dominant any additional opportunity to say, "and your point is…?" ;-)
(♪ la, la, la ♪)
10 comments:
I am awful with numbers too. I hate it when people ask for my phone number and I freeze up.
http://mysubmissivelife.blogspot.com
if he were a real sadist - he would go with the "count backwards from 100 by 7's." just sayin'
We were in the same third grade class, apparently.I was that other humiliate, frozen girl standing next to you.
I would be paralyzed by that one
Is 1 good? or is 10 good?
is this a pain scale?
and enjoyment scale?
a submission scale?
there would have to be a chart
and
a statistical study
Lol. I think that you should get extra sub points for being able to come up with a number at all.
And can I just say how thrilled I am to know that there's someone else on earth who can do algebra, but adds on her fingers?
My algebra teacher used to throw pens at me. He said I was the only A+ student he ever had, who was so inept at basic addition and subtraction (in 40 years of teaching lol). He considered it a dubious honor to say the least lol.
But now I know I'm in good company! Except that I completely suck at geometry...
K-
Never a good feeling, is it? Altho' at least with phone numbers, you can toss off a carefree laugh, say, "Oh, I never call myself!" and sneak away before anyone thinks anything of it... ;-)
gg-
GAD, woman!
Brain freeze, right there, reading my own blog!
Daggnabbit!
(you are really just a sadist in masochist clothing, y'know...)
monkey-
I KNEW you looked familiar!!!
:-D
sfp-
I love the idea!
But, um...
if you can't focus on 10 numbers, are you quite sure you'll be up to interpreting the statistical study?
l-
It IS nice to have a friend in that camp, isn't it?
Yeah, frustrated the pants off my teacher, too. The only thing that kept me from a perfect score in those subjects. I'd work the proof correctly right down to 4x=36, then announce that x=7.
Kinda sad, watching the light fade from his eyes, actually...
;-p
("eight is between one and ten, isn't it…?")
:D :D :D
-H
*looks sheepish*
yeah, well...
what can I say?
Omg, nobody can do numbers in subspace!! It's impossible ~ requires a different part of the brain. They just like to torture us.
O, right - that is what they do.
lol
aisha
a-
I can't quite decide if it was deliberate torture or if he just has a lot of faith in me...! ;-)
Yy
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