---

Dear Editor;
I really believe things would be a lot easier for young people if they knew what I learned years ago: multiplication or times tables. For example: 1 x 5 is 5, 2 x 5 is 10, 3 x 5 is 15, etc.
A young lady, probably middle school, was at a farm stand. The sign read: 12 ears of corn for $5 or 50¢ each. I told her I was paying for 6 ears of corn and gave her $3. And she came back to give me change. I told her that I needed no change as 6 x 5 is 30 and add the zero. She didn't have a clue. . . .
Recently I was picking up 25 cement pavers at a building supply store. An "older" man brought the pallet with pavers.
He set down 5 separate pavers in my trunk. Then mentioned to the young man (late high school age) that it was easiest to keep track of the amount if they stacked a total of 5 pavers high - 5 x 5 is 25. He mentioned it twice but there was no recognition on the young man's part.
I remember it was a "pain" memorizing those tables BUT still use them today.
I believe we would do better, in general, if we exercised our brain more.
Eileen Z. Fitzsimons
Dodgeville, WI