Math Is Not My Forte

By Jackie Deal

Math is not my forte. It’s not my one-two-threete either. You can call it
arithmetic like we did in grade school but it’s the same ole thing. Once upon a
time I knew my multiplication tables; since I started using a calculator (on my
phone yet!) I’m beginning to forget them.

But where it really affect things is in everyday stuff not in multiplication tables.
For example, my car’s clock has been off since cars learned to tell time.

It’s been ten minutes off; no problem. I just add ten minutes to what it says.
Let’s see, is that fast or slow? Anyway, ten minutes is no biggie so I’ve been
adding it for ages now. And doing quite well, thank you.

But then daylight savings time rears its ugly head. Now my car’s clock is one hour
and ten minutes off. I don’t remember how to set it and to look for the
instruction book (there is an instruction book? Really? I though those went out
with computers.) Anyway, who has time to look for instruction books?

But back to the problem: do I add or subtract an hour? Let’s see I add ten
minutes so I must subtract one hour. So okay: subtract an hour and then add ten
minutes and ….and….Wait a minute, well, wait ten minutes.

If I leave the clock alone in another six? five? Well, a few months, it will be right
again. Yah, then all I have to remember is to add ten minutes. See? Higher math
isn’t so hard after all.

So from now on I’ll either be early or late . Even if I don’t figure out which you’ll
see me: either being early or late.