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It seemed like fate, but it was duty.
My first question was, “Why didn’t you fail me?”
His first question was, “Would you like some iced tea?”
I had been at war with the English Department since 8th grade. I don’t remember why. I think my 8th grade English teacher, Mrs. Coffey, enjoyed sparring with me, and I returned the compliment with zeal. It was always cordial. Being a science guy, I consistently argued against the humanities. Only once did I naively step over the line. The teacher wisely told me that there were such things as lines. I demurred and vowed never again to go over that unseen demarcation.
But that didn’t mean I stopped pushing the envelope.
In 10th grade I took a stand against Continue Reading “A Pugilist’s Elegy – In Memory of Mr. Polito”
How Math Saved My Life: From High School Disappointment to Hall of Fame Speech
In short, they’d be bland bios.
I didn’t want to bore the kids. I wanted to leave them laughing in the aisles with self-deprecating humor. At the same time, I wanted them on the edge of their seats, enthralled by the dramatic arc of a true-life story.
Of course, I’d abide by tradition by acknowledging the importance of education, but let’s be honest, what did they care about my career? So, I left that out.
I knew I was coming out of left field, but, in the words of those 20th-century British philosophers, “Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.”
Because of this daring, I suspected the students would become unsettled. I hoped they would Continue Reading “How Math Saved My Life: From High School Disappointment to Hall of Fame Speech”