Perhaps for no other reason than to know that you could learn a lesson like calculus that was probably out of reach given your early struggles with math.

Now when you are confronted with something equally far fetched and challenging you know you can handle it.

Perhaps it was not a lesson about calculus at all, but rather a lesson about success.

Still does not answer a question like “when will I ever USE calculus in my life?” But I suppose it is all about perspective.