Why Math Is Important
Let's say your kid comes up to you one day and tells you this little nugget: "I don't need math, Dad. I can always use a calculator." Hm. Bad choice.
If your child seriously decides to stop learning mathematics, you had better hope they never end up working at the deli. I can personally testify to the disaster that awaits your child if they work behind the deli counter without a mind for math.
Sunday evening, I dropped off Jacob at the teen group devo. On the way home, I stopped by our local Vons grocery store to pick up some french bread and sandwich meat for a light supper with Julie. I didn't want a lot of meat, but I wanted to have enough extra for a sandwich later in the week. The following conversation with the deli clerk ensued. I jest not.
Me: "I'd like some of this black forest ham."
Deli-Man (DM): "Okay, how much?"
Me: "Let's see. I'll take four tenths of a pound."
DM: "Four tenths? How much is that?"
Me: "That would be four tenths. Point four."
DM: "Four tenths?!"
Deli-Man puts some ham in a bag on the scale. It registers at 0.23 lbs.
DM: "Is that good?"
Me: "No, that's not four tenths."
DM turns to deli-supervisor woman behind him: "How much is four tenths?"
Deli-Supervisor-Woman (DSW): "Four tenths. Point four."
DM now takes all the ham out of the bag, leaving only one slice in my bag on the scale. The scale registers 0.05 lbs.
DM: "That's all your gonna get for point four. You still only want four tenths?"
Me: "That's not four tenths."
DSW: "That's point zero four! You're supposed to do point four zero!"
DM: "Well, how am I supposed to know?"
DSW: "You need to go back to school!"
Deli-Man now fills the bag with a half pound of ham: "Is that good?"
Me: "Whatever. That's fine."
I grab my bag and escape from the deli area as fast as possible, and I thank the Lord that my kids seem to do well in math. Let's just hope that other deli-clerks are more capable in math than this one. If not, then this country is in for some serious trouble when we go to the deli in the years to come. I'm guessing this guy won't win the world championship in deli weighing. He probably wasn't too good at math either. Just guessing.
Sunday evening, I dropped off Jacob at the teen group devo. On the way home, I stopped by our local Vons grocery store to pick up some french bread and sandwich meat for a light supper with Julie. I didn't want a lot of meat, but I wanted to have enough extra for a sandwich later in the week. The following conversation with the deli clerk ensued. I jest not.
Me: "I'd like some of this black forest ham."
Deli-Man (DM): "Okay, how much?"
Me: "Let's see. I'll take four tenths of a pound."
DM: "Four tenths? How much is that?"
Me: "That would be four tenths. Point four."
DM: "Four tenths?!"
Deli-Man puts some ham in a bag on the scale. It registers at 0.23 lbs.
DM: "Is that good?"
Me: "No, that's not four tenths."
DM turns to deli-supervisor woman behind him: "How much is four tenths?"
Deli-Supervisor-Woman (DSW): "Four tenths. Point four."
DM now takes all the ham out of the bag, leaving only one slice in my bag on the scale. The scale registers 0.05 lbs.
DM: "That's all your gonna get for point four. You still only want four tenths?"
Me: "That's not four tenths."
DSW: "That's point zero four! You're supposed to do point four zero!"
DM: "Well, how am I supposed to know?"
DSW: "You need to go back to school!"
Deli-Man now fills the bag with a half pound of ham: "Is that good?"
Me: "Whatever. That's fine."
I grab my bag and escape from the deli area as fast as possible, and I thank the Lord that my kids seem to do well in math. Let's just hope that other deli-clerks are more capable in math than this one. If not, then this country is in for some serious trouble when we go to the deli in the years to come. I'm guessing this guy won't win the world championship in deli weighing. He probably wasn't too good at math either. Just guessing.
Comments