My mathematical self

One of my earliest memories is that of my deep fascination with a swing set. This was your standard five bar swing set with swings in a row. This swing was a teepee shape. It had three wooden bars that joined together to hold the chains of a tire swing. Some years later, when I was learning to count, my desire for numbers was insatiable. Every time my dad would tell me the name of one, I would promptly ask, "And, what comes next." Then, when in class we were asked to say our numbers I would start from where I left them somewhere in the thousands. When my teacher corrected me saying that I needed to start from the beginnning I replied by telling her that I had already counted those would continue my counting. Around the fifth grade, they started dividing us into groups. Some of us understand certain things about numbers that other childern couldn't yet grasp. In the sixth grade, they made a mistake and put in the remedial mathematics class and I quickly became the teacher worst nightmare. Midway through the semester, my mother requested they put me in the algebra class. They scoffed at her, but my grades quickly demostrated that she was right. That was until I failed the final exam. My teacher said that she was shocked by the result and discussed a fundamental error in my calculations. Once I had this concept, I aced the exam. We moved to a new school and the only thing I really liked about it was my homeroom and my geometry class. I amazed my teacher by proving my first theorem whereby I reduced a geometric problem to a subtraction problem. When my dad asked how I managed to do that I told him that I solved it using geometry while everyone else was relying on the algebra from the year prior. It was also in this geometry class I was introduced to the complex graphs of stock prices. My teacher said that we should at least try to utilize some sort of mathematical analysis upon which to base our decision. Of course, everyone ignored this advice except for me. I took my teacher very seriously and decided that I would try to do what I could to follow his guidance however vague and obscure it might seem. Consequently, my portfolio became the second best in the school. The first place student was the child of an investment banker so I couldn't feel to ashamed. In fact, I decided to continue my analysis as a hobby. The following year, my portfolio would be bested by none. I received extra credit for my 'company' in my business class and firm accolades for the obvious performance. It was from these efforts that I had given my first ever advice on a real purchase. The advice wasn't followed and my dad kicked himself when I told him that the stock I had recommended had gone from a dollar twenty five to fifty five dollars a share. Who's needs a quarter of their year's salary coming out of thin air form a half a week's investment, anyway?