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I liked geometry. It's very logical. Then there are all of those appealing shapes and lines. I enjoyed the concept of Theorems - rules for arguing the logic of geometry. Being naturally argumentative and teen-aged, I liked the idea of having rules used for arguing. But unfortunately, my main pastime in Geometry was drawing. Although Theorems have helped now that I have teenagers.

For some reason, out of the hundreds of doodles on school folders, papers (and even blue jeans) I kept this sample. Probably because it was one of the days I got 'caught' drawing instead of being to task with school work as I should have been.

Mr. Reardon, hopeful as he was, knew I stunk at Geometry. You could tell that by the sigh he gave me when I entered the room. He and I had a special connection - we both knew I didn't get it, but we both pretended that someday before May 1982 I would maybe pass a test. If we were adults, he probably would have said, "Hey, we both know you suck at this, so let's just go grab a beer and call it a day." But, he was a kind, soft-spoken, bald math teacher with pretty, blue eyes and a short stature - and full of the hope that only a math teacher can have.

On March 28, 1982, the date on this math paper, he nicely asked me, "Shouldn't you be doing geometry in here?"

And I responded, "Mr. Reardon, we both know I can't do math. I'm going to be an artist. This is to work out the details of a painting, and I'm stuck on how it should look. I like you a lot, but this is my last math credit before I graduate."

Actually, what I should have said was that when I grew up I was going to be a SmartAss, since apparently that's where I showed unique talent beyond my years. (Omigosh, if one of my kids said that today I'd kill 'em.) But the painting was causing some concern to me, and it seemed gravely more important than the geometry at hand. The 'important' painting is probably residing in a landfill in Manchester, Missouri under a 20-year heap of collected garbage.

So, my sincerest apology to you, Mr. Reardon, wherever you may be. I'm not as rude as I was in Geometry, and I promise that if I took it again I would pay closer attention! But I do thank you for not seizing my drawing, since you helped to preserve that time in high school for me, and maybe bring some math-art humor to some folks who view the site.