My generation is behaviorally trained to remember things accurately. We believe what we see. Whether it’s numbers, facts, words, formulas, compositions, or every Kevin Bacon movie ever made – we recite, we feel accomplished. I personally think this goes back to scantron-era testing. But I’m an outlier, so my perspective is akimbo.
I was gently placed in a little Presbyterian school where worth is measured in percentiles. The only numbers that mattered were measurable and reproducible. The answer to this is Scantron. It was a fairly rickety system at first. For reasons yet unknown, I’m exceptionally good at multiple choice. Pretty much broke the curve on that shit throughout grade school. Easily voted most likely to succeed my 8th grade year. I had it made.
What no one accurately anticipated was the acceleration of computer science as a thought process. By high school, those of us in the 85 %ile of Math were turning toward the sciences. I’m great up until I require a calculator. Algebra is just a numbers puzzle most of the time. Physics – specifically involving Radiation – is essentially learning how raw energy works. Even biology is fun, to an extent.
But Calculus and Chemistry stand watch over all the interesting stuff. Better to save my money than pay for a fancy private school degree. Good ole Memphis State ain’t that bad. Even then, Veterinary Medicine just out of reach and no real empathy for humanity, I’m just watching the wheels. Around the 4th year I start desperately casting about for anything except an English degree. Good thing FedEx built that business school with a Logistics & Supply Chain Management program! This was 2005.
Alas, this is not the story of a washout. I was repeatedly told by adults that my life will get better when I’m older. Impatient as I am, I always assumed they meant in the near future. It’s a couple decades later and I wish they could see me now. I’m not a working class hero, but best supporting roll is not too shabby. I’m just a little punk at heart.
Thank you.