I use algebra in real life...

Okay, so I am lying.  I don't use algebra in real life... I knew that I never would.  However, Algebra has taught me a lot.  When faced with an algebra class the numbers and letters, pointless word problems and the never ending classes ie pre-algebra, algebra, college algebra.. would make my head always feel like it just might explode.  I have my mom to attest for that.  She would sit with me as we would open up "Algebra for Dummies" and she would figure the problem out, and then try to explain it to me. My frustrations with all the letters,  numbers and little 2s set me right over the edge.  Sometimes I would even lay on the floor and cry ridiculously.  Say how much I hated the homework, talk about how pointless it is, say why my teachers are awful, scream, tear up pages...well you get the point. I would throw a fit. We even hired a tutor to come over and help me. Still, no epiphany of how to do great in algebra class.  It is not that I am stupid, when I really tried to get it, I would (eventually anyway).
  Let me be very clear here: I have no interest to learn algebra, so right away a mental block goes up.  If I were to sit down with an open mind and go over all of the problems, actually of listened to my teachers and cared about the subject, I believe I would of thrived.  But I didn't. I thought (and still do) that it is such a stupid subject.  It is hard, so I did what I do best, and blocked it out. That worked in high school, I somehow managed to pass my classes (D's are passing too!) and even in college. What doesn't fly so much is when I have the same outlook on a lot of things in front of me now. Not thinking about algebra didn't change the fact that I had homework to turn in the next day.  Not listening to my teacher never helped me to pass a test. I see myself not wanting to deal with issues, or hard facts of life, so I block them out. Dealing with someone you love battling cancer, how to communicate clearly with your spouse, how to buy a house...the list goes on.  I hope someone else will figure them out for me, or that I would somehow still "pass".  These kind of things take time and personally I look at them as if they are too hard to figure out. I have to have an open mind. I have to be willing to sit down and pray about it, think about it, talk about it, figure it out, and when I can't, know that God knows what all those mumbo jumbo letters stand for.  I never thought I would ever compare problem solving to algebra...but it happened.  Just an ending note.  I remember one specific time when I was so overwhelmed with school work (there's that algebra homework again) and as I was freaking out, as I know best to do. My mom looked at me and said something along these lines " You need to look at things step by step, not focus on the big picture, it only works you up." I think God gives us those emotions of being overwhelmed for a reason.  We are not made to focus and worry about things in such a way that only he can see and control. He sees the bigger picture, we need to take things step by step. Thanks mom, thanks algebra.