A Triangle of Angles
- thepadol2
- Aug 15
- 3 min read
Learning when you were an adolescent was always a challenge. It only really happened when certain things came together, much like the stars aligning and when the light truly shines. Otherwise it was more like an exercise in memorizing as effectively as possible. Learning was when you had a path that reasoning could use to show you the destination.
I had no idea that we are all different in the way our mind works or how it is wired. I just thought it was a spectrum of how some things was easy or difficult, and how we applied ourselves to unravel the "mystery". If the idea of left vs right brain is considered, I guess I am predominantly left brain for logic, but not by much as my right brain is quite active. At times is feels like I wander between the two. As a high school freshman none of this was known, I just knew that high school meant really getting down to studying and doing well, the games were over. Now was the time to tackle difficult subjects.
Did I like math? Well, I wasn't adversed to it, and so far basic mathematics seem to go by without too much of problem. Was it exciting? Not really.
Trigonometry came as a surprise. It was a totally new subject and I had absolutely no notion that such shapes had a mathematical definition. The surprise though, was really with Ms. Justina Mariani, the trigonometry teacher.
It just clicked with her. I don't know why. I don't know how.
Justina was unique for me. I felt learning trigonometry was like a treasure hunt while at the same time it reinforced logic. It all kind of fell into place easily. For the very first time, doing homework didn't feel like a ship lost at sea.
It was just a short time with Justina but it was enough to create a much needed confidence for the rest of high school. If trig could be so easy or at least comfortable, then maybe other subjects could be equally promising.
Justina was young and for a teenager that could be all the difference. She was positive. She smiled, honestly and warmly. She listened and she never gave up, even if we were distracted at times. She was supportive. Once she figured out that I could move along quickly, she made sure to tack on other aspects that would keep me engaged.
There were moments she explained some new concepts and I could already sense myself getting to the conclusion ahead of her. A rare feeling in all my years of schooling. I just couldn't wait for the next day for another class.
Justina had a patch of white hair which felt so out of place at her age, but it certainly was her most recognizable feature. In a way it kind of masked her aged and did her little justice. Little did I know at the time, but for some reasons other women in my life have had this condition, more than a fair share I guess.
I had her for only a year and only as a math teacher.
The sophomore year in college, some six years later, I was able to meet Justina again when I visited Philadelphia. It was a nice dinner reminiscing and a little of the future to be discovered. Unbeknownst to me it was the last time.
Years later, when internet was available and one could search, I did try to find her. Alas it was her obituary. I was able to contact her father and learned she succumbed to a brain tumor.
A sadness. A loss. Nonetheless she changed me for the better. Is it a debt that can ever be repaid? I'd like to think that I made her proud. At least.
If God is willing, a cello I make with my own hands will be name Justina so the voice of her spirit and generosity will continue to resonate in the space of Time.
