Mathematics vs the Radio

You would never think that math would derail a successful baseball career or take out a Boy Scout. For me at the age of 10 the world revolved around Little League, Cub Scouts, my bicycle, and the radio I listened to at nite until my parents yelled to turn it off. The times tables of 2×2 and so on had no place in my life. Boy was I in for a shock! As the school year was ending and I was thinking of summer vacation, reality was plotting against me. My teacher was writing my parents a report of my inability to multiply 4×8 and other silly formulas made up of numbers. I was informed of my new summer responsibilities and they included learning the times tables and then being tested. Procrastination immediately formed a barrier against this forsaken idea but my parents were formidable enemy’s of procrastination and so my torture began. I still got to spend my summer vacation outside with friends but at nite was presented with flash cards and quizzical stories. When summer ended so came the TEST. The grading curve was set quite high and the results were rather scary. At least to a 10 year old kid who really just wanted to ride his bike in the sunshine and not worry about 7×9. When it was over and the dust had cleared, the consequences were truly dire. I’d not done well at all, in fact I’d barely passed. The parents issued the punishment and I was left with only one choice. I could keep one and only one of my pursuits. So of the baseball, scouting, bike riding and radio listening what would I keep? You are probably asking yourself at this moment, how could he keep that? Well I’ll tell you that of all those items, the one I really enjoyed the most was the radio. It played music I liked and the guy who was playing all the music I liked told funny stories and gave me insights to the world outside my view. I’m pretty sure right then and there I decided that that was what I’d do when I grew up. Of course as an adult once that came about I learned it wasn’t all playing music and telling funny stories. Boy did I ever learn that.