The Old Woman and the Rug: The Wonder and Pain of Teaching (and Learning) Chemistry

by Catherine Hurt MiddleCamp

"Old woman, how much for that rug in the stall?" the man on horseback called. "One hundred rupee, sir," the old woman answered. "It is a fine rug and I will not sell it for a single rupee less." "One hundred rupee, woman?" the man said. "Why, in all my travels I have never seen a rug so fine. Why in the name of Allah are you asking only one hundred rupee?" And the old woman paused in wonder and in pain and said: "Because, sir, until now I never knew that there were any numbers above one hundred."
— Sufi Tale

Like any good story, this Sufi tale places the listener squarely in the midst of life; that is, precisely where learning takes place. Learning can be both exhilarating and painful. In our college classrooms, we (and our students) are spared neither of these emotions when we engage in the learning process.