no insight

no insight whatsoever, just curious as to whether the obsession with holidays post xmas/New Year started by itself or has been instigated by us over the years. It just seems to occur naturally; perhaps after long grey months of cold and rain it is human nature to begin dreaming of sunshine and fun? Are we programmed into it by insidious media coverage? Holidays are not fun, really. It's time to drop the pretence, cancel the conspiracy and come clean; holidays are nothing but trouble. Stress, misery and pressure. Traveling used to be glamorous, didn't it? Now it is boredom and terror combined, herded like sheep from terminal to desk and through toxic xray machines. Insulted and manhandled, exposed to recycled farty air in tiny flying buses, identikit airports flourishing worldwide like fungus. No sense of crossing real 'borders' or joining another culture, just a series of shopping malls with oversized public transport facilities. And yet, somehow, we are seduced into dreaming of a smiling family strapped securely into a flying palace, arriving refreshed and well fed at a tropical, exotic yet amenable location staffed with people falling over to do our every bidding; we will lie in the sun like pampered seals, poring over worthy prize winning novels, and occasionally foray into a clean town with cheap delicious food on every corner. We will sleep like dogs, play like cats and eat like royalty, then return; refreshed, looking ten years younger and ten pounds lighter, ready to plunge back into work/routine
HA
We know in reality, we will arrive at the airport already exhausted, dishevelled and inappropriately dressed, snarling at each other. The staff will be bored, condescending and uncaring, processing us like burgers. Queues will be long and slow, the one you nearly chose will always move faster. Children will be wailing, yelling and swearing, or hyperactive and c... you know what? I can't even think about it so I am not going to write it. Let me hang onto my illusions.