What is the sum of the roots of the equation $(x - 5)^2 = 9$?
To solve this equation, I need to get rid of the square on the left side by taking the square root of both sides. This gives me $x - 5 = \pm \sqrt{9}$, which means $x - 5$ can be either $3$ or $-3$. To isolate $x$, I need to add $5$ to both sides of each equation. This gives me $x = 5 + 3$ or $x = 5 - 3$, which means $x$ can be either $8$ or $2$. These are the two roots of the equation, and the sum of the roots is $8 + 2 = 10$. 