There have been developments with my job situation.  I hadn’t heard from the firm I am hoping to join for an ominously long time.  I’d been concerned that, spooked as they were by the behaviour of the firm I’m leaving, they’d withdraw their offer.  In the meantime, one of the people I most respected at my old firm had contacted my lawyer and put a spin on the situation which utterly misrepresented what had gone on.

There have been many times this year when my faith in human nature has been severely tested.  This trip has, as it bloody well should have been, been a wonderful if all too brief look at the very best of Australian golf and an even briefer glimpse at Australia as a country.  The fact that it has been as good as it has been, that I have played, at least according to a ranking on display at SAB, 8 of the 10 best courses in Australia, that I have had experiences such as the MCG on Saturday and enjoyed conversation such as that at dinner on Thursday is down to a large number of blokes over here who have in most cases welcomed a stranger with extraordinary generousity and real warmth.  Catching up with old mates like Scott and Sean has emphasised the importance of friendship.

At a time when my faith in human nature has been severely tested, this trip has been a welcome and magnificent affirmation that, actually, there are a lot of genuinely good blokes out there.

The words stick in my throat but thank you, Australia*.

 

*Not that there aren’t some arseholes here, too, of course.  Take David Warner, for example……

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