I hate advanced Mathematics.  I come from a line of really sharp mathematicians but the brilliance really skipped me because I took Algebra 1 twice in Junior High and High School.  My job requires me to do some math, but it is not often difficult stuff.  What’s funny is that some mathematics I can do in my head without thinking about it, while other parts just cause my brain to fry.  I blame my failure in mathematics on lots of things, but mostly the part where the story problems were horrible.  I love stories.  I love problem solving.  But I don’t like lame problems in story problems.  If they had put practical things involving jumpes, bikes and blood I would have totally gotten sucked in at that age.

Example:

Randy is riding his bike at 45 miles per hour down a hill in the Sierra Nevada’s.  He crashes and is bleeding on the road side.  His father picks him up in the Suburban moments later and travels 5 minutes to pick up Randy’s brother.  From the point of picking up Eddie to getting home to wash up the distance is 35 miles.  The Suburban gets 12 miles to the gallon.  How many pints of blood will Randy lose before getting home to be bandaged up?

That is a perfect story problem.  There’s drama.  There’s action. And of course there is a little bit of trickery because nobody cares how many dollars Randy’s dad spent on gas driving the suburban, it was when gas was barely over $1.00 a gallon.

Have you noticed that I also don’t do super at things like spelling?