Law school sounded like a good idea at 43. At the end of two introductory law classes, I stared into the frazzled yet tired, gray faces of the newly admitted and nearly retired attorneys and came to the conclusion that this was not the way to end my working career. Switching course, I became a re-entry transfer student at the local junior college. Now, four years later at 1-2 night classes a semester, there is light at the end of the tunnel–at least to transfer. 2 more transfer classes to go. I can do this, I keep telling myself. I will not allow math to be an obstacle to my success as it has been in the past.
I’ve decided that college discriminates and I’m not too happy about it. Many otherwise brillant people are held back from their achieving their dreams because they do not possess the math gene. I can almost guarantee you that I will never have occasion to calculate how much area can be fenced in given a certain amount of fencing. Nor will I ever need to know the half life of radium 210 (or whatever it’s called). Yet, I am forced to learn these things in order to be allowed to administer social services to our elders (my new career path). Ironically, I may be assisting some of those math professors some day (if they ever let me out of statistics) who probably won’t recall what a logarithym is either–and you can bet I won’t be the one to remind them.
John said,
May 28, 2008 at 1:30 am
As I sit reading about this woman without the math gene, I am reminded that I like many others do not have the speling gene. (as we can tell) And until computers and the spell checker came to be, I was lost. Still am at times. So hearing someone who might not understand how I can not spell some words off the top of my head, I guess I can sometimes understand those who quake at the sound of “If a train is traveling 45mph, and…”
I wish I could help my wife without the math gene with her homework but I forgot where I put that darn gene.
Hannah said,
May 28, 2008 at 4:28 am
At least you took that soc class so you can formulate your deap hatred for math in a scholarly way!
Dad said,
May 28, 2008 at 5:12 pm
If I remember that math lesson correctly. If you need more fencing you go to Freidmans. They deliver. Easy.
Other answer: Don’t let the fences of your mind limit your potential for being the person you were created to be.
aliceanderson said,
May 28, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Hannah: That’s very philosophical of you–A+
Dad: Both great pieces of advice! Math bedamned!
John: or is that jahn
jeannie said,
May 29, 2008 at 2:52 am
i assure you dear, even if one has that gene, without the memory gene it’s all just smoke and mirrors. i know i knew that, i think.