Math Geek Party of 1!

I had always been fascinated with math. Unfortunately, my obsession with math made me an outcast with my peers. I was literally the only one who would raise their hand to answer the question. So much so, that my math teacher would ask for others. Well, I did not think much of this until I told my math teacher he had made a mistake in the math. When I corrected him, he was embarrassed and upset. Then I heard the comments:

“And she wonders why she doesn’t have friends”

“ Nerd alert!”

“Who likes math so much?”

I didn't mean to make my teacher feel embarrassed. I didn’t know that I was weird to like math. I didn’t know...that I did not have friends. I felt so alone. I would try to make others like me by helping them with their math. Hoping that maybe, just maybe, they would see that I am nice. My teachers liked me. Why didn’t they? This was one problem I couldn’t solve.

From 7th grade all the way to 11th, I would do my math homework at lunch. It killed time and I enjoyed it. Yet, I would hear the chuckles and the comments. In fact, in 8th grade, I was the only one who got a 100% on the math test and was excused from homework. The class gave me a “look”. Too bad I had already done the math homework. I was ostracized by my peers and was literally sitting alone because the teacher had put me in an area for only the “elite math students”.

When I got to 9th grade, I met my match in math. It was this kid named “S”. He was good, but he didn’t know that I was just as good. He assumed that I was not good, like everyone else/ Yet one day, we literally were in a math match. It was like tennis. I would answer, then he, then I and so on. The math teacher raced us to see who would “win”: the girl with glasses and braces or the guy who took almost all AP classes.

So who won? ***SPOILER: I did! Everyone, including “S” was surprised. I was worried that I would be judged or shunned. I did not celebrate. I did not gloat. I just said: “S is very good”. After class, I got congratulated and even “S” talked to me and congratulated me. It felt good! Not the celebration, but for once, not feeling like an outcast or weird for liking math.

It was at that moment that I realized: I don’t care if people thought I was weird or in one girl’s case a “psychopath” for liking math. I loved the sensation of answering right and solving problems. I didn’t nor do I care. While I didn’t answer as much, I didn’t change my views on math for anyone. If I knew the answer, I knew the answer. I still kept that same feeling of liking math all the way to college.

LIke I said in the last paragraph, I love math and I think the reason why I love math is simple: it means solving problems. It was then that I solved the biggest problem of all: be yourself and not care what others think. In other words, it is as simple as 1 x 1. I should not have to change for no one and I am fine with being the math geek that I am. So while I am seen as an “outcast”, I am okay with being seen as an “odd number” (Sorry for the pun, I couldn't resist! xD)