Tick-Tock
My dad taught me how to tell time.
He also taught me my multiplication table.
I was better at the multiples than at the time-telling.
To this day, I will glance at a clock, blink twice, and interpret the time. It takes me a half-moment longer than anyone else, it seems, to read that clock, which is a little awkward at my age.
Like most small children, I learned how to count money quickly. But knowing my coins is what gave me a lot of trouble as my father and I sat at the kitchen table.
He drew pictures of clocks, all with different times. And he was ever-so -patient with me as I did my very best to understand why there were 12 digits, why there were 2 hands- "why, daddy, why?"
And I am sure he sighed with regret when he took on the task of explaining what a quarter hour was. I distinctly remember glowing with pride when I understood that a quarter hour MUST mean 25 minutes! Because, of course, a quarter equals 25!!
He also taught me my multiplication table.
I was better at the multiples than at the time-telling.
To this day, I will glance at a clock, blink twice, and interpret the time. It takes me a half-moment longer than anyone else, it seems, to read that clock, which is a little awkward at my age.
Like most small children, I learned how to count money quickly. But knowing my coins is what gave me a lot of trouble as my father and I sat at the kitchen table.
He drew pictures of clocks, all with different times. And he was ever-so -patient with me as I did my very best to understand why there were 12 digits, why there were 2 hands- "why, daddy, why?"
And I am sure he sighed with regret when he took on the task of explaining what a quarter hour was. I distinctly remember glowing with pride when I understood that a quarter hour MUST mean 25 minutes! Because, of course, a quarter equals 25!!He really, really, really struggled with that one. I didn't quite accept that a quarter hour was 15 minutes. I didn't do very well on that lesson....
But how wonderful that he took the time, anyway.
Comments