Experience is the Key

It seems so funny that when you are in phase of learning new stuff you tend to judge yourselves to be more confident than the person on the other side. How very often have you been in such situations where you are moments away from solving a problem and the answer comes from the other side with thrusting force leaving you in reverie?

A similar incident occurred to me. I was a teenager then, preparing speed mathematics for one of the exams. Just like anyone else solving problems fascinated me. These things have not changed however going back to the point. I went to one of street side grocery store, looking for some edible mustard oil. Mustard oil is rarely used, specific to some recipes which brings the pungent flavor to the dining table.

It was a small store with just one guy available to attend the customers. I walked in straight without much to discuss,

I asked the shopkeeper "Do you have Mustard Oil?”

He replied “Yes, how much you need?".

I said “500 grams will do. By the way, how much is the price"

He responded "120 bucks a kilogram".

That was simple math for me, 120 divide by 2 would be 60 bucks for 500 grams. I was suddenly interrupted by shopkeeper.

He said “Sorry, I just realized after seeing the container. The container is almost empty, I have very little left"

I wanted to know if the little left could serve my purpose. I asked “How much do you have?"

He said “Around 180 grams."

180 grams was good enough for immediate purpose or should I say I was in no mood to explore other options. I responded “I will have it" and started calculating the price. It was good chances to try out the speed mathematics I had learnt in recent time.

So with high concentration I started calculating in mind "120 bucks a kilograms, would be 12 bucks 100 grams. So 180 grams = (100 plus 50 plus 3 multiplied with 10) grams i.e. 12 bucks + 6 bucks + 3 * 1.2 i.e. 18 + 3.6…..

The shopkeeper said "21.6 bucks". I was interrupted by the shopkeeper.

I was almost close the answer but the shopkeeper was fast enough to beat me. I was surprised, I looked around him to see if there was any calculator that was used however I did not find any.

I looked closely at him, he was a guy in his mid-fifties and from his outfit he did not look as if he had any knowledge of Speed Mathematics.

I was eager to know how he did that. Without any second thought, I asked him “How did you do that?"

With a lot of ease, he responded "200 grams minus 20 grams i.e. 24 minus 2.4 bucks"

It looked as if he had read my mind. The explanation was in same pattern that I had used in my calculation.

This is Sheer experience. Possibly he had dealt with many customers like me in his business and helped them in solving such calculations.

I smiled and said thank you. While walking out, I could see the incident appearing on my mind.

“Practice & Experience is the Key”