In 1944, before they changed the IQ tests, I was a genius.  It made my mother very happy.  Two years later, when I took the new test I was  just normal.  They had put much too high a value on math and spacial skills in the first test, which was right down my alley, so I had an unusually high score.  Those little round and rectangular odd shapes that you have to imagine "how they will fit together when you rotate them in space" were fun for me.  I love puzzles.  Algebra was my favorite subject.  All those x y, and z problems that you had to figure out were the best part of my day.  It's not surprising that I ended up at a college teaching math as a career.  It is wonderful when you get to work at something you love.

It is interesting how we categorize people based on what they are skilled at.  It is a poor way to evaluate a person.  We judge them the same way based on the jobs they have, how much money they make, what kind of car they drive, what kind of house they live in.  All are things that don't matter.  What matters most are the genuine characteristics that they have.

The thing I value the most is honesty.  You are either honest, or you aren't.  There is no such thing as a "little bit" honest.  Integrity would be very high on my list.  Do you do what you say you will do?  Perseverance would be high on the list as well.  Do you keep on keeping on even when it's hard?  Kindness.  That has to be on my list.  There is never any need to be rude or thoughtless when interacting with others.   Generosity.  My daughter Pat says that you have to help the poor people that God puts in your path.  You can't help the entire world, but you can help someone.

There are so many qualities that draw me to a person.  They never involve the things they have.

Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance."

I am working on making a good test score on those things.  Join me.