Is in the problem.

When I was 11 my MATHS teacher hit me between the eye’s like a teacher rarely (if ever) does for most, with a story! It was our first lesson in the first year of high school, I really should look him out and thank him one day!

He inspired me to become a fan of logic. Easily recounted.

I’d been in lunch washing down some macaroni and cheese or something with a coffee. It was a luke warm day in Mar and me and my pal had let time get away from us so I downed the coffee (yes drank it from age ten) and rushed to class.

Got there sweating profusely while me and my pal gave our names to the teacher for the register. The teacher seen me perspiring and asked ‘you ok, son?’ (No relation to me just how we spoke back then).

‘Fine, sir just rushed to be on time’ I chipped in, in a typical care free way.

‘Can either of you two tell me why your perspiring so much though, it’s cool outside and you’ve not run far.’ He had an almost conspiratorially tone to his quieter voice. Meant only for the two of us while most others in the class settled.

‘He’s wearing his jacket, sir’ was my pals reply.

‘I just finished lunch with a hot drink and the heat needs to go somewhere, sir’ was what I said.

He smiled at me and directed us both to take a seat.

The bell went and the register was done so:

‘Welcome all, David here just highlighted a point which describes quite well how I want to start our lessons’ he recounted the story so far to the class and got me off the hook for yes perspiring heavly for no apparent reason.

‘Maths is about logic, my story highlights how it can be simple or complex. If your interested sit at the front. If your not, sit at the back and don’t disturb those at the front. I’ll grade all your works fairly but before you decide to sit at the front or the back let me tell you a quick riddle story.’

We were all bored already but had an hour to endure and so most paid attention to this tale being told.

‘A young family is traveling to Lands End at the bottom tip of the UK on holiday and hit massive traffic. It turns out there’s a truck stuck under a railway bridge holding up all the traffic and this road was the only road to where the family was headed. So stuck in traffic they started to while away the time.’

I was almost convinced I was in the home economics class now and not maths but anyway.

‘The Mum got the kids playing I spy while the Dad went to see what the story was. After a bit the Dad came back to the car “Well, how long is the hold up going to last then? Ssshhh kids, listen to your Dad for a min” the Mom said.’

‘The Dads reply was “Well because it’s a rail bridge and due to it being a truck stuck under it they need special lifting gear to get the truck out.”

“They have a crane in Birmingham they could used but it’s tied up on another job. They have one in Germany but it’d take 8 hours to get it here.”

The kids were getting restless in the back. Tom 8, and Sally 6, “Dad can we not go to a park or something while we wait?!” Sally piped up.’

“Let me speak to your Mum for a minute here Pet” Dad replied to her a little crossly.The maths teacher mocked and then gave us his stern face.

Sally replied by folding her arms.

“Anyway.” the Dad continued “If the engineers can get a Chinook helicopter from Swansea they might be able to fly a crane with an engineering unit they need from near Paris within 3 hours. It’s because it’s a rail bridge and the weight it was made to carry etc.. technical stuff my dear. The engineers are doing their best hun.”

Sally had had enough.

“Dad, get them to let the tires down and just drive it out because I just want to go and play!”

“Darling ssshhh, your Dad is…” She stopped as he’d just left the car.

Sally had saved the day.

Within an hour they were on their way.

Logic tells us…

The solution is in the problem.