29 Lessons I Learned the Hard Way

Lesson 25

Lesson 25.  - Bad  Math

Every year there is huge meet called Age Group Championships. It is for all the kids in the surrounding 10 or so states, who make the cuts.

(Cuts, are the time that you have to be able to swim it in, for example say you want to swim the 50 free at AGC you have to be on or under the cut of 29.00, etc. etc. They are often made to be very hard to get times and not many kids make it)

There are two different AGC’s , one for the swimmers 12+ under, and one for the 13-18 swimmers.

This particular AGC was for my two younger siblings (who also swim) I had come to cheer them on and help watch the youngest (who was six at the time) as my mom ran around trying to get the two swimmers to their sessions on time.

The place where they hold the 12+ Under AGC is a very unique place. It’s in the middle of nowhere in an aquatic center that has both a competition pool, and……………… a waterpark.

I love waterparks, really and truly I do, but this particular waterpark……. I don’t.

It’s a very small one with one slide, a jungle gym and a lazy river.

The lazy river is always crowded by parents of small children who are grumpy and glare at older kids as if they are going to corrupt and eat their small children alive.

In fact the entire water park is always crowded.

(Maybe it’s because it’s in the middle of nowhere and there is nothing else to do around there but go to that small and overcrowded waterpark. I don’t know)

Anyway, while we were at the pool for my two siblings swimming, I agreed to take the six year old into the waterpark so she could have something to do while we sat and waited for the meet to start and finish.

(Each session was nearly four hours long)

After helping her put on her swimsuit in the equally overcrowded bathroom, (and unprecedentedly loud, I still don’t think my ears have stopped ringing) we walked out to the waterpark.

“I want to go on the jungle gym!” she said excitedly and ran over.

I followed her and as we went around the waterpark, I actually had a lot of fun with her too.

(That was, when I ignored the mean glares of parents who wanted to kill me)

Finally after about an hour of running around it was lunch time.

There was a concession stand outside in the hall for the swim meet and they were selling bagels, muffins and all sorts of food.

MY mom had given us both money to buy lunch so we threw on our cover-ups and walked out into the hallway to buy food.

Ina box on the table they had a bunch of fresh bagels of very type - sesame seed, plain, spinach, raisin, everything, cinnamon - they had every type of bagel and fresh bagels smell so good.

I paid the lady for one and popped it into the toaster they provided for people to use.

Have you ever seen those toaster that are extremely plastic and look like if you put any pressure on the handles to push the toast down, they are just going to snap off?

This toaster looked worse than that, it was the sketchiest toaster I have ever seen, but I was determined to toast my bagel so I popped it in anyway.

My little sister still hadn’t decided what she wanted.

“Amunet??” I heard a voice ask as someone tapped me on the shoulder.

I turned around, “Oh my goodness! What are you guys doing here?” I ask

“What are we doing here?” Mrs. Miller laughed, “We live around here. What about you guys what are you guys doing so far from home?”

The Millers were some friends of ours who lived up here in NH, we lived several states away and didn’t see them very much except for in the summer.

“Two of my siblings are swimming here for their Age Group Championships.” I replied, “That’s so funny I didn’t know you guys lived so close!”

She nodded her head and at the same time the toaster popped up my bagel. I turned around and reached in, to grab my bagel.

ZAP!!!

I could feel the volt of electricity run throughout my finger and into my toes. Stars spun before my eyes and my knees felt weak.

Suddenly, I was sitting on the floor and I couldn’t remember how I got there.

Mr. Miller was staring at me, “Are you okay?” he asked

I nodded and black spots danced in my eyes.

“I just am tired.” I lied through my teeth embarrassed to admit I had just gotten electrocuted and then passed out in mid-conversation with them.

Mr. Miller looked skeptical, so I managed to pull myself to my feet for a moment to grab my bagel and plate of the counter before sitting back down again.

“I’m fine.” I smiled

He looked a little less worried but he still glanced back at me a couple times as he walked over to where daughters were standing to buy tickets to the waterpark.

Mrs. Miller smiled at me, “It was really nice seeing you guys!” she said

“Tell your siblings I said good luck!”

I smiled back and she walked away too.

I couldn’t clench my hands into a fist, I felt too weak.

“Amunet, I want to buy a muffin and a bag of chips.” My littlest sister asked me.

I reached into my pocket and handed her the money. She bought her food and then came and sat by me on the floor. After we finished eating we went back into the water park and I felt a little better.

I think this is important, but I am only going to say it once, so listen up.

I have noticed a repetitive pattern in my life -  anything around water is bad.

Paper + Water = Bad

Drysuit + Water = Bad

Jewelry + Water = Bad

So I should have seen it coming that

Wet fingers (water) + Toaster = Bad

So what lesson did I learn from this?  - I'm bad at math.