Belonging

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Winnie-the-Pooh_characters#Piglet

We had moved twice from our family home in a year. Ten miles down the road, different school district and easier for Dad to get to work.

This was high school. Battle. Brawn, cheerleaders and brains. I was good at English Lit and Algebra, Alex on Geometry, we all studied together.

We came up with names from A.A. Milne, and we were all supporting characters. I remember two. Alex was Tigger. I was Piglet, a tiny girl. I realize now I was probably the leader of the group. They named me as such and when a situation comes up, I just deal with it.

I had a crush on Tigger but had never dated nor wanted to do so. After all, we had to go through Geometry after Algebra. He was my saving study grace there. I wonder what he’s doing now. Probably a home and wife and kids, perhaps grandkids, I wish him well.

Twenty years ago I was a consultant for an impoverished neighborhood striving to educate their children. We had an event one day and I was given an opportunity to assess one of the parent seminars, and I learned algebra all over again. This teacher should have made Teacher of the Year nationally. I remembered! It was so easy, that I wish math and science would have been recommended for girls back in the day. In my day it was Home Economics, and I protested it by leading the team and making our theme chocolate for everything, pancakes, whatever. I wanted to take Shop but I was a girl and even went to the Principal but was disallowed because of my gender. I could make a pie, but not a lamp.

That was years ago but if we had a lot of money I’d toss it in a foundation for math and science and reward the teachers, then the students with impartial judges as to teacher and student qualifications. The emphasis would be for women to learn early on that they can write software, do any job guys do for three times more than you can make. Thank you Mr. Burgoon (grade school), and Tigger, for a bit of math. Cheers, Dee

ps Many thanks to my husband, who is great at physics lessons on the road (what kind of smoke is this and what does this factory make) who makes me admire the math geeks. Hey, I’m married to one and try not to take long car trips with him, the dog is more quiet and in back…… D

 

 

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