For the Love of Math

I have never been exceptionally good at math. In high school I glided through math with the ease of a swimmer caught in the rapids. It was not a pretty nor graceful sight! I had to work very hard to get the final grade I got. If Math was the rapids, mental math was Niagara falls. Mental math was as excruciating to me as getting a brain tumor removed. I would literally go numb and my temples would start throbbing whenever someone asked me “What’s 65 added to 13?” (or any mathematical equation for that matter).

“Uuhhmm, well... you know what, I have a terrible headache! Why don’t you just use your calculator, it’s much easier!”  I would always say. 

Praise God for the most intelligent person who had the sense to invent the calculator! Needless to say my lack of speed when it came to mental math made me the laughing stock of my family. 

“What’s 103 minus 65?” my dad would ask.

“Uum wait! I can do it!” I would yell.

“Never mind I got it, its 38.” He would  reply.

“Wait! Sshhh! 3 cannot minus 5 so I need to borrow from 0 which needs to borrow from 1 so I have 13 minus 5 is (at this point I bring out my 10 trusty fingers) 12, 11, 10, 9, 8...8! Ok so I have 8 next its.. oh my gosh what was the number I was taking from?”

“Its 38!” my dad would shout.

“No wait! You might be wrong!” I retort. “what were you minus-ing again?”

My dad sighs in resignation, “103 minus 65 honey.”

“Oh right! So now since I borrowed from 1 its 9 minus 6! That’s 3!! (at least I know that off the top of my head). 3! The first number is 3! Dad what was the number i said before? 6?

“No! 8! I told you its 38!” my dad practically shouts.

“Yah! You’re right! I got 38 too!” i say beaming.

“Took you long enough!” my dad would exclaim.

Don’t get me wrong,  I’m confident enough to  face the facts, guys are just better in math than me. Well ok, not just guys.. most people in the world, especially in Asia! But just because I’m slow doesn’t mean I quit trying!  

The only good thing about math is algebra. I felt like a mathematical genius when I was studying algebra. I owned x and y like a turtle owns its shell! Algebra was made for me! (just the simple algebra though)

So when I got to university and found out I had to study 1 semester of algebra my heart leapt with joy! That was the first time in my life that I did not have to work hard at math to get to the top of the class. I was very impressed with myself. 

One day my professor approached me and said, “Jo, would you be available on Wednesday at 4pm. I want you to represent our class in an inter-college math competition.” 

I stared at him waiting for the punch line. Nothing. I stared at him even harder waiting for him to burst out laughing. Still nothing.

“Me?” I laughed nervously in disbelief.

“Yes, are you available?” he responded.

“Are you kidding me?!” I said as I sank into my seat. All I could think of at that moment was sitting on stage and hearing the announcer say, “We are down to our final question and the score is still 0 for Jonina.”

I shook my head. “Sorry sir, I’m busy.”

That night I rushed home to tell my family the incredible news. “Mom, Dad! Guess what! My teacher asked me to represent our class in an inter-college math competition!”

“What? Was he serious?” my mom asked confused.

Thanks family, your support warms my heart and drives me to aim for new heights. :P

It’s ok, I’ve faced the fact, math will never be my friend.

Till death do us part calculator!