The Class Assignment

In the eighth grade at Holy Redeemer,

when Sr. Ann Vincetta told the class

to open their math books to page 184,

I knew I was in trouble.

That page, located somewhere near the

end, I knew, contained problems, actual

exercises in algebra to be solved.

How many students in years preceeding

me had to reckon with x, y, and z. I never

could relate numerical figures with the

alphabetical counterparts which stood
in their place.

After struggling with the very first battle-

ment of questions I faced, I retreated

from the bloodbath field of math, and on

my worksheet, I drew a cartoon of Beetle

Bailey instead.

He was standing at attention while Sarge

Snorkel yelled at him, “x...y...z!” Now,

there was an image with which I could

be pleased.

When the good Sister told us to hand our

assignment to the student on our left to be

corrected, I gave mine to Christine Watkins,

with whom most of the guys I knew would

agree, was hands down the cutest girl in class.

I blushed a beet-red with embarrassment.

And right away, I could see that my silly

drawing made about as much sense to her

as x, y, z meant to me.

It was then I realized that becoming a

physicist or CPA was definitely not in

my future.

And Christine Watkins, one day more

than likely, would marry a super-star

football player, not some skinny dim

witted and mathematically challenged,

wanna-be cartoonist...um...sort of like
the guy I happen to be. 

Chris Hanch 9-13-18