Mad Math Minute

Soooo...I've got a confession to make.

I can't do subtraction.

Now, this might not seem like a big deal to some of you, but in middle school I was the reigning "Mad Math Minute" champ in my class 3 years running. Every morning after the daily bulliten was read, our home room teacher would pass out a half-sheet of paper with 30 math problems on it. Every day was something different: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, percentages...etc. We had one minute to do the problems and we were to raise our hand as soon as we were finished. My heart would race looking at the blank side of the paper (so we didn't cheat before time started). Then, our teacher would give a countdown...5..4..3..2..1..GO! I would take a deep breath and jam through the problems almost always being the first to fling my hand into the air and smile at the approval on my teacher's face. (i have issues I know..) On occasion a boy in my 7th grade class tried to challenge my title. In a good week, he would beat me twice...I still remember his name...JayDee.
Well, I don't share this to brag, but I did always pride myself in doing well at math. It has just always clicked for me. It wasn't until a few days ago that I realized my skills were in need of some repair. Working in a retail shop, I'm left closing the store at night after we've locked up. I run reports, count the register money and do a simple equation to show how the day went. Doing this daily involves adding and subtracting. I've used an adding machine for quite awhile now because my fingers are MUCH quicker than my brain. Well, in an effort to save additional time, I have started doing the reports right next to the machine that prints them and the adding machine is on the other side of the store. No big deal right? I'll just do the simple math in my head...yeah...right....

Last night I hit rock bottom.

Usually I write down the numbers, and have no problem...but last night I was just pennies off so I subtracted 39 from 51. I just stared at it, knowing the number was small, but I had to physically write down 51-39 and cross out the 5, put a 4 and carry the 1 to subtract the 9. 12! Was that so hard!? It's pathetic I know.
That said, I think it's time to relinquish my title of "Mad Math Minute Champ." Sad, I know, but it was a good ride. :)