The Burkes chat with a mystery guest at the Fall Fling*

New members Dave and Marilyn Burke are also lifetime members of the Pitt Alumni Association (PAA). Marilyn is especially engaged, as she is immediate past president of the Metro PAA, which includes Southwest Pennsylvania as well as Pittsburgh. Accordingly, it bears mentioning that they met while Pitt students. The Burkes first became aware of the program when they attended an Osher Presentation at PAA meeting where a talk was given and brochures handed out. Favorable word of mouth helped stoke their interest when a good friend, Will Hoel, and other friends as well, joined and told them how much they enjoyed their classes.

“The reality is, we enrolled because we wanted to—the subjects are of interest to us. Marilyn is 100% Italian, so we’re taking an Italian Immigration course at Monroeville ExpoMart,” Dave stated.
The Burkes like the idea of taking courses in Monroeville because it’s a relatively easy commute from their home in Shaler (just outside of Millvale), the parking is free, and there’s convenient shopping and dining at the Mall.

I first met Dave in Tai Chi class, when I stumbled backward into him and he helped me regain my balance. He’s trim and fit looking. “I’m taking the Tai Chi course,” he said, “because I was looking for something that would not only be a form of exercise, but also a form of relaxation. So far, it’s been extremely interesting. We both believe the more you keep the mind active as a continuous learner, the more alert you’ll be and the more active life you’ll have as a senior citizen—so here we are.”

Our conversation turned to demographics. Marilyn pointed out that the age range in Osher runs from 55 to well into the 80’s; hence the need for courses that meet the needs of people with quite different physical capabilities. She recalled her mother’s experience when she joined a senior citizen’s group. Her mother had observed that the more nimble members would participate, for example, in exercise or line dancing classes, while the “older” members preferred more sedate or quiet activities. “We’re those people now. We’re in the young group, though–we can still line dance,” she chuckled.

That gives me an idea. How about a course in Tai-Chi Line Dancing? Hey, I’d sign up for it in a heartbeat.

Len Z
*Positively identified as Vivian Lawsky