Numerical Dyslexia

Handling money has always terrified me because I have “dyscalculia.” It’s the numerical equivalent of dyslexia.

During high school, each sport or discipline had to take turns in the ticket-gate for home football and basketball games. It was during the basketball season that I was placed in the ticket window.

By the end of the night I had all the receipts screwed up and I would be suspected of stealing at least a hundred-bucks, if not more, from the lock-box. And while I hadn’t, I couldn’t prove I had not and that left room for a lot of suspicion.

It fell to Coach Brian Ferguson to ask me if I had taken the money. I can still remember him finding me as I sat in the bleachers next to Candy Lehto, watching the game.

I thought for sure that he was going to call the police and have me arrested.

Worse yet, I felt bad for Candy. Her only crime — guilt-by-association.