I agree that Americans are very illiterate in mathematics. For the longest time I used to think that a square was the same as a cube, it took me a while to realize the three dimensional nature of a cube compared to a two dimensional square. It may be that we Americans are so illiterate in math because of technology. Most people are used to being given an equation, simplifying the equation a bit, then plugging it into a calculator, pushing enter, and circling their answer with absolutely no idea how they got it and where it came from. Because of this, we don't know the specifics and definitions of some aspects of mathematics; when given a problem involving a percent, people blindly follow the formula to solve it and plug it into the calculator, never really knowing that there can't be more than 100%. If a problem was written incorrectly and it involved 120%, people would accept it with no question. Overall, I think that technology simplifies math for us maybe too much, therefore we do not know facts such as it is impossible to have more than 100% of something, and what the difference between a square and a cube is. We need to start learning the reasons and processes behind the answer we circle on our papers, and I believe if this starts to happen, we will greatly improve America's illiteracy in mathematics.

Very interesting story! I think this post is about how most people tend to look at math in the beginning, and how their opinion changes as they move throughout the learning process. In the story, when you first begin to grow the houseplants, you are unsure of yourself and expect that you will fail. I occasionally find myself feeling this way about math, I tell myself that it will be too hard and too much for me to handle, and that there is no way I will succeed. But in the story you surprised yourself, you exceeded your own expectations. Then, as you began to follow your neighbor's advice, you grew and succeeded even more, driving yourself past what you had thought were your limits. I think I should apply your experience to my upcoming year in math class, so that I can push myself past what I thought were my limits.

I have not always particularly enjoyed math. It doesn't come very easily to me either, and I often find myself having to go over the same thing many times for it to stick in my brain. I believe I learn math best when I take good notes in class and really try to learn the lesson, then maybe when I get home to go over that day's  lesson again in order to really learn it so that I can implement that knowledge while I do the homework. Overall, math has always been a challenge for me, but maybe if I come at it with the attitude that I can make it past what I think are my limits, I can  grow and exceed my own expectations as a math student.