DIGITS ARE US OR HOW MANY ARE THERE

My eighth grade social studies teacher became my junior college political science instructor. William Roy was a huge man who was a calm guy who had a lot of good old homespun humor. He had all of our respect.

One time in eighth grade, he got angry when a boy in the front of the class wouldn't cooperate. Mr. Roy walked over to him and lifted his desk with the lad still seated straight up in the air to where he was eye level with the teacher. "Now do I need to ask you again to get quiet?"

David Epley, the airborn student couldn't answer; he simply shook his head no. Similar problems didn't exist in junior college. Mainly what I remember about that class is how much Mr. Roy liked my future sister-in-law who was in the class with me. I thought I'd have been the one he favored with our history and all, but no--it was Joann.

So why the digit picture and the story about Mr. Roy? He had lost about one-half of the index finger on his right hand. He effectively used that partial digit to gesture or send home a point. I don't know why it was effective, but it was. At least to me. As I think back, I don't ever recall any other students talking or wondering what happened to Mr. Roy's finger. In fact, I'm wondering why it came to mind.