Sorry... thread creep, but I just gotta!

I was in St. John's. Coast Guard HQ. Me, my boss from Moncton, and the fed DM, Transport - Marine were meeting with several fed Coast Guard (local) and a half dozen provicial politicians and senior silly servants. It was not long after Meech Lake and Mount Cashel.

After intros, my boss started the meeting with an ice breaker... "We are here to form a position of mutual respect and effort to accomplish an important task. I know relationships have been strained a bit lately. Many Newfoundlanders are tired of having politics shoved down their throats and religion shoved up their asses... or vice versa." Well, you coulda heard a pin drop in international waters. The silence was deafening and it lasted for a good ten seconds, until the Newfies took to laughing, whereupon everyone let loose. I had to wipe my eyes!

The meeting was over in less than an hour. And, we all walked away with a concensus. The policy agreement we reached that day is still in effect and working well, for all concerned. Makes me smile every time I recall that silence.