The problem with math

I never cared very much for mathematics. Arithmatic, algebra, geometry, none of it. When I was a boy I would have trouble with a some of the more theoretical things that some sadistic math teacher was  attempting to cram into my head, I would utter the familiar lament of math students "when am I ever gonna use this". That is a protest that is almost universally replied to with some version of the phrase "grownups useit all the time". This of course is a lie, but a child who is led to believe you can do anything you want to if you just try, can be persuaded that learning how to divide fractions is an important skill for cowboys or firemen or fairy princess or whatever goal that kid might have.
This leads to the two biggest problems I now have with my math class. The first is that it is of course demeaning and unrealistic to think that there are too many complex arithmetic problems someone will be faced with where there won't be a calculator involved. So grading an adult on doing math "tricks" on paper is merely an excuse to abuse the dignity of a grown ass man or women. This little rant is about more than just math being hard (which it isn't) or school being a pain in the ass (which it is) it is about a system of education that can after a decade of indoctrination still leave someone a hollow shell of their potential, while at the same time proclaiming all it wants to do is help him reach his full potential. I will save a full examination of my views about education for another time, but if you haven't thanked a teacher today don't, they deserve a punch in the mouth more than a thank you.