Lying in bed last night I recalled an incident that I feel is indicative of the country-boy ethos. There was a bit of tension in the camper between a few of the guys. After a few beers things escalated and resulted in a punch being thrown, a window broken, and one of the guys being thrown through a door. The following morning both bodies and egos were a little bit bruised but scores had been settled and the air was clear. Tension was replaced with collegiality as the boys focused on repairing the damage to the camper.

Cheryl Thurman was cooking lunch on the BBQ in the campground as one of the boys walked by with the broken door under his arm. I’m told he smiled, waved politely with his free hand and wished her a good morning.

Back in the big smoke and put in a similar situation I would probably have gone on a long walk and drawn up a mind map to work out the best way forward for all involved. I can see merit in both approaches. I really appreciate the (sometimes big) differences between me and some of the guys.