What's YOUR learning gap?

So I was watching How I Met Your Mother last night, and the theme throughout the show was learning gaps. It really made me start thinking... I have SEVERAL.

Basically it's some common knowledge that you failed to pick up until one day you find out that you are completely wrong or uneducated and crawl into a cave of humiliated guilt. Some examples in the show were not knowing how to use a screwdriver, thinking the North Pole didn't exist...that kind of think.

My learning gaps are incredibly embarrassing. My Geography is terrible. In fifth grade our map of the world put Hawaii and Alaska right next to each other. It took...*sigh* until my late teens to learn otherwise. I'm still terrible at it despite passing this class in college with an A, I blame it all on my highschool teacher who would play football games in class instead of teach.

For the longest time I thought Siegfried and Roy were actually a trio... Sid Freid and Roy.

I didn't know that you had to clean the dryer lint out of the dryer until I first moved in with my ex fiance and he marveled at how I hadn't caught the entire house on fire yet whilst laughing hysterically at me.

So I ask you this ATS, What's your learning gap?

Alright i got one...

I until recently thought that the little drum stick part of buffalo wings, where actually baby chicken legs.

It was recent too like 3 years ago, that I was sitting at the table eating a bunch and I said.

"wow thats kinda horrific all them baby chickens I just killed"

Everyone at the table looked at me like I was a complete retard...

and couldn't stop laughing at me.

That's really funny. I can see that, I'm with you

I know everything and am always right so I have never had this problem...


LOL my favorite was from jessica simpson she on camera actually said something to the effect.

"chicken of the sea isn't chicken"?

Originally posted by -W1LL
I know everything and am always right so I have never had this problem...

LOL my favorite was from jessica simpson she on camera actually said something to the effect.

"chicken of the sea isn't chicken"?

edit on 7/18/2012 by -W1LL because: (no reason given)

That was hilarious, and something that I would PROBABLY say.

I thought the lyrics to "VIVA LAS VEGAS" were "FEVER LAS VEGAS" and didn't find out otherwise until a drunken Karaoke experience that happened in the last year.

Originally posted by ValentineWiggin

Originally posted by -W1LL
I know everything and am always right so I have never had this problem...

LOL my favorite was from jessica simpson she on camera actually said something to the effect.

"chicken of the sea isn't chicken"?

edit on 7/18/2012 by -W1LL because: (no reason given)

That was hilarious, and something that I would PROBABLY say.

I thought the lyrics to "VIVA LAS VEGAS" were "FEVER LAS VEGAS" and didn't find out otherwise until a drunken Karaoke experience that happened in the last year.

LMAO or how about Jose' can you seeeeee!

Originally posted by -W1LL

Originally posted by ValentineWiggin

Originally posted by -W1LL
I know everything and am always right so I have never had this problem...

LOL my favorite was from jessica simpson she on camera actually said something to the effect.

"chicken of the sea isn't chicken"?

edit on 7/18/2012 by -W1LL because: (no reason given)

That was hilarious, and something that I would PROBABLY say.

I thought the lyrics to "VIVA LAS VEGAS" were "FEVER LAS VEGAS" and didn't find out otherwise until a drunken Karaoke experience that happened in the last year.

LMAO or how about Jose' can you seeeeee!

Luckily didn't have that problem LOL

You know how parents always say "Trying to make ends meet"? Until I was 16 with my first job, I thought it was something else. So I get my first paycheck, I come home with some chinese food, sit down in front of my mom and dad and said " I GOT MY END MEAT".

My mother tells that to everyone I know to this day.

One thing that I had a problem with actually trying to figure out how to do was how to convert feet over to inches in drafting class back in high school. You see, our teacher then would just tell us to draw something without telling us what formula we needed to use to convert. It took me forever to go by and use the blocks on the paper to help figure out the problem. I can say that I blame the teacher for that and that we never had that problem again.

Then there was the problem of learning the multiplication tables in elementary school but that is a completely different story.

Originally posted by gimmefootball400
One thing that I had a problem with actually trying to figure out how to do was how to convert feet over to inches in drafting class back in high school. You see, our teacher then would just tell us to draw something without telling us what formula we needed to use to convert. It took me forever to go by and use the blocks on the paper to help figure out the problem. I can say that I blame the teacher for that and that we never had that problem again.

Then there was the problem of learning the multiplication tables in elementary school but that is a completely different story.

Don't feel bad sweetie, I still don't know my multiplication tables!!!!

So one of my worst ones, was my driving tests. Everyone told me "DO EXACTLY WHAT THE INSTRUCTOR SAYS" over and over. So she gets in the car, we take off. All is going well until we come up to this stop sign. She says "Go STRAIGHT through the stop sign then take a right".

I literally went straight through the stop sign. Without stopping.

I took that test 3 times before I passed and I think I only passed that time out of pity.


Edited to add:

My driving teacher was the same person as my Geography teacher.

reply to post by ValentineWiggin


Swimming is main learning gap. Too against idea of drowning to swim.

Thanks for the laugh OP. I am accustomed to looking like a big dummy ever since I was in a car wreck. I can't remember anything most times and it gets worse if I'm put on the spot. I try not to let it bother me so what if someone thinks I'm stupid. The people who know and love me know otherwise. It's healthy to be able to laugh at yourself and sometimes I am a comedy goldmine.

I never bothered to learn all the presidents names in order or the states capitols but it's ok I went to scholl in Amerika. I have a education disability.

Originally posted by Ladysophiaofsandoz
Thanks for the laugh OP. I am accustomed to looking like a big dummy ever since I was in a car wreck. I can't remember anything most times and it gets worse if I'm put on the spot. I try not to let it bother me so what if someone thinks I'm stupid. The people who know and love me know otherwise. It's healthy to be able to laugh at yourself and sometimes I am a comedy goldmine.

I never bothered to learn all the presidents names in order or the states capitols but it's ok I went to scholl in Amerika. I have a education disability.

I can laugh at myself after the fact but when it happens I turn beet red lol. Im not so great on capitols either.

I found the secret to air conditioning was the orifice but that was about 10 years ago. It was an answer I was seeking since I was in high school. Now air conditioning makes perfect sense.

Rumsfield was right (as much as that sticks in my craw)

There are three states

Known knowns -- the stuff that we know and are confident that we are correct- the sun is hot.
Known unknowns -- stuff we know exists but we don't know the answer - steel can get hot enough to melt, but I don't know the exact temperture.
Unknown unknowns - the stuff that blind sides you because you had now idea such a thing existed -- obviously there is no example for this.

I remember one thing i had a learning gap on. I couldn't figure out why the smoke stack on a steam engine would "puff". I had seen it lots of times in movies and a few times in real life and knew basically how a steam engine works. Whenever the engine would crank up, there would be clouds of smoke puffing out of the stack and I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out why.

My dad had installed a wood burner in the house and he and I were in the basement stoking the fire.I knew he had grown up around horses and steam engines, so I asked him about that. I was about 15 at the time. He explained that steam is vented up the stack to draw air over the fire and keep it hot. It was like an epiphany to me, but I still remember the "You didn't know that?" look he gave me.

Originally posted by N3k9Ni
I remember one thing i had a learning gap on. I couldn't figure out why the smoke stack on a steam engine would "puff". I had seen it lots of times in movies and a few times in real life and knew basically how a steam engine works. Whenever the engine would crank up, there would be clouds of smoke puffing out of the stack and I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out why.

My dad had installed a wood burner in the house and he and I were in the basement stoking the fire.I knew he had grown up around horses and steam engines, so I asked him about that. I was about 15 at the time. He explained that steam is vented up the stack to draw air over the fire and keep it hot. It was like an epiphany to me, but I still remember the "You didn't know that?" look he gave me.

LOL That's one of the worst looks ever. My mom proposed a trip to Hawaii and I said "OOHHHH We can see Alaska too!!" and I got that very look LMAO

I’m so glad someone has finally approached this subject OP………

I have been thinking about this for quite some time & I would like to learn more about ‘gaps’ and eventually specialise in a certain area like ‘wide gaps’ for example.

But how does one learn about gaps, is there a gap school, or gap university – I would love to get a masters or PHD in all things gappy……

Perhaps I should start researching small gaps and see if I like them? Like the gaps between people’s teeth, or the large one in-between my ears?

Maybe I could get a job as a ‘gap filler’ to begin with, should I go door to door asking people if they need their gaps filled for $10 a pop?

If I approached a bank for a loan to get my business started, should I portray myself as a knowledgeable gap expert (perhaps if I wear overalls?) or just someone that just has an special interest in gaps and would like to take things further?

It also troubles me, some people like their gaps just the way they are….. how do I convince them to let go of their gaps?

I’m also cautious, I mean….. what happens if I fall into a gap that is just too big for me to get out of…. Do I eventually become part of the problem or part of the solution?

Mickierocksman

Originally posted by ValentineWiggin

Originally posted by gimmefootball400
One thing that I had a problem with actually trying to figure out how to do was how to convert feet over to inches in drafting class back in high school. You see, our teacher then would just tell us to draw something without telling us what formula we needed to use to convert. It took me forever to go by and use the blocks on the paper to help figure out the problem. I can say that I blame the teacher for that and that we never had that problem again.

Then there was the problem of learning the multiplication tables in elementary school but that is a completely different story.

Don't feel bad sweetie, I still don't know my multiplication tables!!!!

So one of my worst ones, was my driving tests. Everyone told me "DO EXACTLY WHAT THE INSTRUCTOR SAYS" over and over. So she gets in the car, we take off. All is going well until we come up to this stop sign. She says "Go STRAIGHT through the stop sign then take a right".

I literally went straight through the stop sign. Without stopping.

I took that test 3 times before I passed and I think I only passed that time out of pity.


Edited to add:

My driving teacher was the same person as my Geography teacher.

edit on 18-7-2012 by ValentineWiggin because: (no reason given)

edit on 18-7-2012 by ValentineWiggin because: (no reason given)

Your driving exam scenario has been done before. I know, I did it my first time too, exactly as you did.

I used to think socialism was liberalism, and capitalism was free-markets.

Man was I embarrassed when I learned the truth.



Not quit as funny, but when I was a little kid I was told the iris was just a hole, and I thought literally it was just a hole and was afraid something could fall into my eye. My Mom, bless her, finally put me straight after months of worry.