Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Geometry

When I was in high school, I became infatuated with Geometry. It was fantastic! You could draw flat lines on a piece of paper, and end up with a perfectly formed 3-dimensional object. Tirelessly, I cranked out the forms, which increased in complexity. I stayed up late nights working on the project, wide-eyed and sleepless. As the turn-in day for what was in fact a minor portion of the grade approached, I considered the presentation. I t just didn’t seem like enough to simply submit the white cardboard objects without a “context”. And then I had a brainstorm; - a hand. I would submit an enormous hand holding the fragile shapes like precious jewels. Furiously, I worked on the giant hand, adding details realistic and humorous. For the first time ever, I marched into the high school full of confidence, carrying the gigantic hand. Students moved out of the way, making comments which I was sure were favorable and admiring. Awkwardly, I negotiated the door to the math room. I was early to class; - good, I could engage the full attention of the math teacher. There was one thing I hadn’t considered. He was a math teacher. He wore glasses and a short sleeved white shirt with a pencil and a pen in the pocket. Coolly, he made a small checkmark next to the assignment. Whether from professionalism or lack of attention, he didn’t see me sobbing in the back of the classroom.

2 comments:

Kathi said...

DAMN teachers! After having too many like the one you describe-with few words but excellently, by the way, I decided I'd never be that kind of teacher. I hope with all of my heart that I lived up to my own expectations! Nice work! I see you're on another roll!

debdeb said...

I love the pace of this story and the way you grasp the poignancy of youth and the "little" things that affect us so dramatically.