All about Berc
“Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional.” – Walt Disney
I’m a born and bred Pittsburgher, from a big and wonderful family. I grew up in Forward Township (adjacent to Monongahela, PA), where I annoyed the heck out of my older sisters and was driven thoroughly insane by my little brother. My parents and grandparents are huge sources of inspiration for me, and I’ve certainly inherited their work-ethic and love of learning, among other soft skills. My aunts, uncles, and cousins galore complete the loving community from which I have grown and learned to thrive. I am truly privileged with a large and fantastic support system.
Perhaps the most influential part of my early life was my eldest sister, who has cerebral palsy. My formative years had that additional layer of thinking about someone else – making sure that she wasn’t excluded just because her needs and capabilities were different. I didn’t always do this well, and I still don’t! But I will always try.
Here’s some other facts about me that I think are share-worthy:
I’m learning to crochet! It keeps my hands busy during long days of Zoom meetings. I successfully made a few headbands and a scarf, but when I changed yarn colors in the scarf I was always off by a stitch…hmm.
I am obsessed with red pandas. Did you know they spray like skunks?!
I really enjoy Disney movies, but the princess ones are my least favorite. (This might explain all the quotes populating my website haha…)
I really love musicals, sing-a-longs, and long car rides where I can scream-sing my own personal soundtrack.
I play saxophone, mallet percussion, a smidge of piano, and an even smaller smidge of trombone. In case it’s not obvious, I was (…am…) a band geek!
I cannot work in silence. Must have music. Usually, it’s some sort of instrumental playlist filled with movie scores, video game soundtracks, classical pieces, etc.
I play softball! Not well, but I really enjoy it. I’m a somewhat decent first basewoman, but my playing abilities have really been hindered by a lack of depth perception.
I can only see out of one eye (hence the lack of depth perception – no parallaxing)! Maybe one day I’ll get a robotic eye…ah, the possibilities.