Welp. That was different.

If you take a Statistics 101 course, you should emerge with three basic concepts burned into your synapses.  Bonus points for more than three, of course, but the minimum required to justify your time and tuition are:

1. Correlation does not equal causation
2. Any fewer than 32 data-points, and you got some 's'plainin' to do
3. Standard deviations (particularly on the bell or "normal" curve)

While #1 is probably the most important, #2 is what I came to write about tonight.  Me, I had only two data points when it comes to that venerable business institution known as the local Chamber of Commerce.  We're not going to mention any names, m'kay?  But let's just say that their gatherings were largely unpleasant.  I've tended toward introversion later in life, but can still tap into the extrovert that was me in younger decades, if need be.  That being said, she's not much of a match for the alpha-salespeople who have buttonholed me at CoC events.  And we've both cringed under the firehose of indiscriminate salesmanship on display at too many of these Chamber-hosted outings.

(There's also a slightly embarrassing story about me at a politically-themed business-over-breakfast event, but that's for another time...)

But (belatedly) following the recommendation of a native, I signed up for the Chambre de commerce du Grand Shediac yesterday and showed up at tonight's reception, which included the State of the City address by the Mayor.  Granted, I was treading water (okay, technically "jellyfish floating"-look it up) during the French portions of his address, but it was informative nonetheless.

My first clue should have been that I was left to my own devices during the "mingling" part of the evening.  That gave me the luxury of scanning the room to see who was making the rounds, which cliques stayed clumped together--that sort of thing.  (Extroverted alpha-salespeople, IMO, would do well to shut up and hang back long enough to do this.  Trust me:  you can learn a lot.)

Mind you, I wasn't above introducing myself the singleton looking lost or bored and striking up a conversation.  (For the record, that had a 2-out-of-3 payoff:  I met someone who grew up 2 houses down from mine plus a fellow transplant to the area, but awkwardly bashed my pathetic French against someone's much-better-but-still-limited English.  Zo wellz....)

During the wind-down, I happened to be in the vicinity of the Chamber's Directrice, who took me under he wing long enough to introduce me to the President, and then the Mayor introduced himself while I was chatting with two insurance agents.  (Aside:  Kilogram for kilogram, anyone who's not only read Team of Rivals but watches the movie at least once a year probably has my vote if s/he decides to run for Prime Minister.  Just sayin'.)

But despite the attention lavished upon this (still appallingly unilingual) newcomer, the afore-mentioned firehose was noticeably absent.  That was almost surreal.  But appreciated all the same.  I don't miss the sense of being fresh meat.  Or, perhaps more aptly, the sense of being chum tossed into the shark-tank while my fins are still twitching.

So big ups to the Shediac Chamber for a very positive data-point.  Both the introverted and extroverted parts of my character join me in saying "thanks."