A Person Is Only As Valuable As She Can Be Of Help To Others

At one time, albeit this occurred at a resident's meeting many years ago, a certain Gulf Island's separation from Canada came under deadly serious consideration by a small, loosely organised but distinctly separatist, and quietly insistent group who then made a motion that this Gulf Island separate from Canada.
Some assumed this was a joke. Others who paid attention knew right away that it was not.
Maybe this is just one of those "you really had to be there" stories but still ....
Many around the circle that night clearly made a tremendous effort NOT to become reduced to a puddle of giggles.
Then, to make matters even more trying, a certain well known, very British accented, dry humoured, ironic style woman precipitously but politely intervened, just as this earnest separation discussion was well underway, at which point she gave the whole thing a clever, straight faced re-direct by making a second motion, namely ... that the resident's organisation consider instead the alternatie of establishing of a local monarchy, as an alternative to the island separating from the rest of Canada.
No one could meet anyone's eye, some but not all for fear of losing it completely.
She immediately added the coup de grace to her motion by volunteering to nominate herself on the spot for the new position this would create as a monarchy, the job of being the Queen.
No one, -and I mean no one-, dared to laugh out loud.
That was a classic evening, one which gave a whole new meaning to the phrase "the pain of suppression".