The Lighter Side (March 2002)

1. At my visit to the senior center just before Christmas, I brought an assortment of small gifts that I placed on a table in front of the room. The items were unwrapped so the seniors could pick out whatever they wanted. One by one they would come up with a smile on their face, pick an item, and then go sit down. All of the seniors were happy with the assortment of gifts, all except one.

This particular lady walked up to the table with a pained look on her face and said, “Do you have any knees up there? What I really need is a new pair of knees!”

– Sharon Sirkis

2. One morning at the retirement center before TCC class, I noticed a gentleman hanging out by the doorway.

“Would you like to join us for T’ai Chi Chih [practice]?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he said, “It just looks like a bunch of old ladies in there.”

Upon hearing that, spry, 96-year-old Dell got up and walked over to him and said, “I’m not old, I’ve just been around a long time!”

– Sharon Sirkis

3. As a newly-accredited TCC instructor I enjoy sharing my enthusiasm with others. When I was “blessed” by a visit from the local Mormon Church, I took the opportunity to tell them what I was so excited about. I ended up doing a mini presentation complete with demonstration . . . To think I used to dread such visits!

– Debbie Cole

4. The other day as I was getting ready to go to my T’ai Chi Chih class, my husband said to be sure and tell my instructor that when I didn’t practice, I was CHI-ting.”

– Bobbie Weichman
Student of Donna McElhose

5. One of the college students told me that when she was practicing Rocking Motion at home, her dog stood up on its hind legs and started waving its paws to imitate the move.

– Sharon Sirkis

6. Every time we do Daughter on the Mountaintop and Daughter in the Valley, one of the seniors, Bob, jokingly tells me how sexist it is.

“Why aren’t there any sons?” he asks.

During the last class, he added something new. “See,” he said, “It’s the sexism again. Daughter on the Mountaintop, Daughter in the Valley, and now it’s the Lazy Man’s Exercise!”

– Sharon Sirkis

7. One evening at the end of TCC class, one student said she felt so wonderful that she wanted to have sex with everyone. Without missing a beat, a guy on the opposite side of the room nervously said, “Well, you just stay right over there!”

– Sharon Sirkis