So last night we are watching an episode from season 3 and there is a guy, the bad guy, who played Mr. Mushnik. You know, the shop owner from Little Shop Of Horrors. And that, my dear friends, brings around this whole lotta memory makin stuff. 7th grade. Math. Clicking. Mr. Mulshenock.
You see, in 7th grade I had a math teacher named Mr. Mulshenock. He never got out of his chair behind the desk. He was old. He scared me. Speaking of 7th grade, here I am in it...
Oh yes, feathered hair. Think Farrah Faucett. 1983. I was so hip.
Anyhoo, Mr. Mulshenock was a math teacher. Did I say that already? He was. There is no denying it. So all the memories of 7th grade math come rushing in. He had a box on his desk labeled "Mak-Up". He told us if we miss an assignment, we needed to finish it and put it in the Mak-Up box. He also said, "See? I know how to spell make up." And as a young, impressionable, naive sort of creature I thought "Mak-Up" was how you actually spell "Make Up". For a very long time.
On a parent teacher night type thing...the students always went and we didn't have appointments, just walked in to talk to whatever teacher you wanted. Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but I was always there. So my mom and dad are talking to him about me and my math skills. Excuse me. Lack of math skills. My dad said, "Math finally clicked for me in 7th grade. So maybe it will click for Jennie." Mr. Mulshenock said, "That's what I hope will happen. She just needs it to click. I'm sure it will." And that is really the conversation they had. Word for word.
For your information, I think about that small exchange on a regular basis. If you ever think that something you say will never be remembered or have an effect on someone...think again. I have thought a lot about math clicking, even willed math to click for me. Maybe that conversation warped any chance of having math click for me. Maybe I think about it too much.
And, Mr. Mulshenock, if you're reading this, math still hasn't clicked for me. And I DO know how to spell Make-Up. Even though I question it as I write it. Still! And I'm not afraid of you anymore! Umm. Serious!
5 comments:
I am laughing my butt off! I had never even heard of that teacher at New Haven. How funny those impressions are. I had a hard time with math in 7th grade also. My 6th grade teacher recommended me for GATE (yes, gifted and talented) math for 7th grade. So, I not only was put in GATE Math, but GATE PRE-ALGEBRA! I will never forgive my 6th grade teacher for that. I have hated math ever since. And the sad thing was that it always "clicked" for me before then. Never again, after that... and that, my friends, is why I am not an architect!!! Well, that and the whole physics thing. Sad, but true. - Katie
You make me laugh. I remember stuff like that from school, but it doesn't seem funny to me like yours does. Anyway, hope you never had permanent damage from the wierdo math teacher.
Love that picture! I don't think math ever clicked for me either. Or maybe we just had dumb math teachers.
Oh my! The hair is hysterical but- you are missing the critical component- the blue eye shadow! Someday I'll post my photo of that era.
So great to see you today! I can't wait for your baby to be born!
We had the same type of parent/teacher thing growing up...we went in with them...it was a chance to show off all the fun stuff we were doing.
Math still hasn't clicked for me either, I'm sorry to say. That's funny that that conversation stuck with you.
LOVE the feathered hair - one day I'll post my pics of my feathered hair and we can all laugh together.
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