Patrick manning and Colm Imbert, while visiting a primary school class,
found themselves in the middle of a discussion related to words
and their meanings.
The teacher asked both men if they would like to lead the discussion of the
word "tragedy". So the illustrious Manning asks the
class for an example of a "tragedy".
One little boy stood up and offered: "If my best friend, was traveling in a
maxi taxi and it hit a pot hole and ran off the road and
he died, that would be a tragedy."
"No," says Manning, "that would be an accident."
A little girl raised her hand: "If my mommy and daddy and got kidnapped and
the bandits took the money but still killed them, that
would be a tragedy."
I'm afraid not," explains the exalted Imbert "That's what we would call a
great loss." The room goes silent.
No other children volunteer.
Imbert searches the room. "Isn't there someone here who can give me an
example of a tragedy?"
Finally at the back of the room little Johnny raises his hand. In a stern
voice he says: "If a plane carrying Prime Minister Patrick
Manning and Minister Colm Imbert was suddenly blown to smithereens that
would be a tragedy."
Fantastic!" exclaims the Manning, "That's right. And can you tell me why
that would be a tragedy?"
"Well," says little Johnny, "because it sure as hell wouldn't be no great
loss, and it probably wouldn't be no accident either."
