A Frustrating Frustration

*Names have been changed for posterity's sake*

Frustration is not only frustrating for the frustrated, but also for the free-standing friend, Long division, although it can provide a fair amount of frustration, is not a conspiracy formulated for the sole purpose of instigating frustration. I bet *Caty* would disagree...

Yet, I seem to have a hard time comprehending the frustrations of long-division, since I am no longer in the 3rd grade. I, too, remember questioning the random remainders, the supposedly logical methods for dividing by some random numbers, but that was 10+ years ago (okay, 20!!).

As the free-standing, faithful friend, I find that factors of division in themselves are invaluable to daily life. Only if I stop to focus on it, that is. They are engrained, invisible, understood, even part of the daily mechanics in basal functioning. But for some, especially those in the 3rd grade, I sympathize. I have a hard time seeing the simplicity of a misunderstanding in the mathematical world. Don't call me callous, nor ignorant, simply simple-minded in approaching the frustrating factors of mathematics.

In essence, if you are frustrated at my attempt to help, I will most likely become frustrated as well. The world does not have to come crashing down for me, just because it does so for you. We simply need to take one math step at a time. Together.