Th'Fuck, if I had understood that shit back when, I'd have had a far better life.
Shrug.
I can remember the classroom, could find it in the dark if they haven't changed the layout of the building, the name of the teacher teaching it (Math 31 in the local school system parlance) that ducked out half way through the year, some sort of breakdown, there were rumours he was gay or had a substance problem, but that's the rumour about every teacher in a High school. Even the married ones. And Mr S was definitely not married. I recall the dry alky they brought in from the college across town to try to teach it because he had papers to, but hadn't worked with it years. And how hopeless he was even if he was trying. I recall running into that 2nd teachers quite good looking daughter on an adult dating site nearly 20 years later- into meth & some seriously kinky shit- her profile pic was her making eye contact with the camera rimming some guy.
And I recall teaching calculus to myself out of the text book, and getting damn good at it. And no, never used it once since. I eyeball/iterate the really complex shit, for better or worse.
But a life fully lived, so far, I figure.
* And no I never did get together with her. Chatted online said I knew her, was a couple years ahead of her in school. She called BS and I gave the name of her little sister who had a rare sorta ethnic, definitely usually male's name, and she was like "holy shit, busted!"