Absolutely

Absolutely

“What does this mean?” James said, in the most defeated voice since they’d started working.

Gram leaned over and read the piece he was pointing to, her stomach tightened. New Math.

Gram had never been very good at math. There was no interest beyond not failing the course, and having to take it again! In her day, the math requirement was, unfortunately, required, to be in what her school called “The College Prep Course.” Plus, computers had not been invented yet, well, not for ordinary people.

New Math wasn’t particularly new anymore either, his mother went through it when she was in school. She seemed to get it, passing her tests and never requiring help with her homework. Thank goodness! Though, at the time, Gram didn’t even think about it. New Math? How new could math actually get? Apparently, another thing she failed to understand.

Normally she would just tell him to wait till Mom or Dad got home. Grammie has “forgotten.” She didn’t want him to think she was stupid. She had lived all these years using “Old Math” after all and so far, so good.

She looked again, suddenly the phone rang, giving her an excuse for a few minutes.

It was her friend Mary, quietly she told Mary the situation. Mary laughed! “I’ll be right over!”

After Mary worked with James a while, James seemed to be going ahead alone. Gram was flabbergasted!

“What did you do? How did you know that stuff?”

“My Dad is a physicist, did you forget? As soon as New Math came out, he couldn’t wait to teach me! You on the other hand, are not Math-ey, you never were.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

“You never asked? Do you want to it learn now?”

“Absolutely not!” Grammie said, smiling.