Find the right formula

By Anne Mukei

I am an arts person, and have never had reason to think otherwise. In school, I favoured the arts, and that love continues.

I have no problem with numbers, and I love them even more when they can be translated to monetary value. But my knowledge of mathematics remains basic, and I have no desire to graduate to the next level. I always say it is a miracle that I did not get fail my Statistics course in university.

Everyone seems able to do basic arithmetic. One plus one is two. Then at some point, the addition and subtraction become more complex, and when division and multiplication set in, things get worse.

But is that not how it is with life?

Some problems are easier to solve than others. It is easy to sort out that electrical fault by calling an electrician. If you want cake but cannot bake, all you need to do is buy a cake of your choice.

But some issues are hard to solve. That is why one wishes for a simple formula to help get an answer.

I asked three friends the biggest, most complex problems they had ever faced, and how they went about solving them.

One winced when she remembered the heartbreak she had to endure three years ago. She says it was the most difficult thing she has ever had to sort out, and that the pain was almost unbearable.

She cannot confidently say she found the right formula for solving her problem, but she is sure that she finally has the answers.

The second friend still has nightmares when he recalls how difficult it was to admit that he had a drinking problem. He says the day he walked into a rehabilitation centre was the day he started to solve the greatest equation of his life.

The journey has been difficult, but he is already savouring the answer as he and his doctors strive to get a working solution for his alcoholism.

The third one is unable to control her anger, and has found herself in great trouble just by failing to manage her annoyance, even when it is unwarranted. Time and again, she has lost a good friend because of her dark character.

She is undergoing therapy and hopes to live a normal life soon.

It is clear that getting the right figures and symbols to allow you to get the correct answers is a nirvana moment for many. Because with time, you realise that some sums are rather complex, and need you to change your method if you are to arrive at the correct answer.

Indeed, the answers are almost always there, but how does one get them?