Basic Math

We learned multiplication in 2nd grade.

 I wish I could remember my teachers name-- I can picture my classmates and the room itself but my teacher's name escapes me. Anyway, said teacher is the one who taught me multiplication. Or at least tried to teach me multiplication. She began the lesson by explaining the basic concept of multiplication-- that it's addition. 9 x 3 = 9 + 9 + 9.  That's about all I remember of those lessons because I immediately decided there was no need to learn to multiply, all I needed to do was add! And that was that. Why spend time memorizing my times tables when I could be reading or swimming or creating imaginary worlds? Just add!

Unfortunately for me (in the long term, in the short term I was fine), I was perfectly capable of adding all the numbers I needed to and passed all my tests and it wasn't until 3 years later in Mr. Reagan's math class that anyone had any idea that I couldn't actually multiply.  Don't get me started on division-- once I realized it was just subtraction, well, all was lost.

And lo these many years later despite algebra and geometry and college level calculus not to mention almost a decade of retail math, I still don't really know how to multiply.

True confessions here gang. Airing out my closets. My name is Ryan and I can't multiply.