The Lighter Side (November 2023)

Originally printed in September and December 2001

One evening before their first T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) class, I asked students to introduce themselves and briefly tell me why they were there. Glancing at his wife, one student said, “My name is Mike, and I’ve been living with a TCC commercial for the past couple of months.” After a short burst of laughter from the class, I asked, “Oh, was she the one that dragged your butt in here?”

“Yes,” he replied, “and I brought the rest of me in too.” The following week I asked the class how their practice was going. Mike said he was doing the movements about 10 times the normal speed and added that “It felt more like T’ai Chi – Cha Cha Cha.”

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At the teacher conference, Justin commented to me that too many people say “umm…” when they come up to address the group. “Justin,” I said, “they’re not saying “Umm…, they’re saying OM.” Chuckling, he gently touched my shoulder and said, “That’s pretty good.”

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One morning during TCC class, I reminded the seniors to place their attention in the soles of their feet. I really wanted to get this point across, so I carried it a little further. “When you walk outside, really pay attention to your feet connecting with the earth,” I said. A few minutes later, on my way out of the building, I tripped up the stairs.