Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Dyscalculia 4evah! Math Wits Nevah!

I have no sense of direction.  Still mix up east and west because in my mind, cowboys who went west would be right handed.  And eastern exotic types would be left handed.  This was my logic.

I get math concepts but didn't memorize my multiplication tables really, ever.  Still can't do twelves, although I'm good until I get to 4 dozen.

Struggled with all my inner brain muscles to get low C's in any and all math-related classes.  Chemistry with my beloved Sr. Ellen revealed my absolute inability to figure out mole.

When I won the bean counting contest in 5th grade girl scouts (off by one bean!) I used a complex circular system of my own devising that I came to find out was calculus.  My girl scout leader, Mrs. Popernick, thought I cheated, CHEATED, my lack of math skills was so notorious.

I loved playing the clarinet but was a horrible sight reader of music.

And of course I had myriad and deep other gifts in the Language Arts,  which blinded teachers to my obvious deficits.

I have always known I sucked at math.  I just ignored it and chalked it up to my language side taking up the math energy.  No big deal. I learned to live with it.

Still can't balance a check book (how archaic!) or do long division (who needs to anyway?) or deal with money concepts such as interest, compounding, percentages, and the like (this would be a little useful, actually) or read a map (GPS!).

Couldn't read an analog clock until high school which my entire family thinks is hilarious.

Miss Columbia University Graduate school CAN'T TELL TIME!

Hardee har har.

So on XOJane.com I read a piece on DYSCALCULIA AKA Math Dyslexia and whoa.  It was great.  I just wanted to come out of the Dyscalculia closet and let it be known.  I was never tested or wanted to be. But as they say in Kindergarten "You get what you get and you don't get upset." It's a mild form of dyscalculia but I got it.

DYSCALCULIA PRIDE, yo!

Anyone else have this?  I'm so glad I got the dyscalculia and not actual dyslexia.  The idea of not being able to read with ease and gusto depresses me.  For obvious reasons...







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