Why Do We Travel?

It’s a valid question, especially when you consider the current economic climate and the storm clouds that are quickly converging on North America.

Most people can’t even afford to put mouldy bread on their table, yet they’re willing to whip out the plastic, cram the rugrats into the mini-van and hit the road in search of adventure. Of course, what they usually find is frustration and disillusionment, but you get the point, right?

People used to travel for vastly different reasons.

• A select few would set off in search of new lands and cultures.
• Some would have to relocate due to circumstances beyond their control (war, disease, famine, all the good stuff Life throws at us!)
• Then there were those desperate souls in search of a new and better life for themselves and their brood.

But times have changed, and not necessarily for the better.

Now we travel for recreation, even though we have movie nights, sports, date nights and literally hundreds of other activities to occupy our rapidly deteriorating minds. We even have dozens of devices to surf the Web and break the tedium of the day.

Still, we feel the primal urge to roam and we willingly answer. Not that I mind. After all,  I make my living from that urge! But I look at the endless mob of middle-class zombies and business-class drones that have made their way past my desk this year and I don’t see the same twinkle in their glossy eyes.

Recreational travel is supposed to be just that, recreational. But modern travellers are frustrated and miserable before they even arrive at my little slice of heaven, so what hope do they really have for a joyful vacation?

Let us never forget that we walk in the footsteps of giants; men and women who walked this earth with a purpose, even if they didn’t realize it at the time. These individuals left the world a better and brighter place, and there’s no reason the rest of us can’t treat our time on this planet, and each other, with the same respect and reverence.

PARENTS:

Treat each trip like a real adventure and actually spend time with your kids instead of getting drunk in the room or wandering the casino or strip club! If you do that, then maybe, just maybe, they’ll grow up to be valuable members of society instead of douchebags!

You may have brought them into this world, but do I really have to pay the price?

KIDS:

Treat your parents (and hotel staff!) with respect and scale back the whining by, oh, let’s say 85%! The next time you’re trolling the web looking for naked photos of Justin and Selena, check out the plight of people your age in the Third World. Sweatshops, slavery, and daily beatings are just some of the fun activities these children experience every single day!

Trust The Hook, you’ll live a longer and happier life if you act a little grateful for what you have and don’t constantly piss people off.

GRANDPARENTS:

Make sure your family knows they’re out of the will if they don’t treat you with respect and use your wheelchair and walker as they were meant to be utilized, and not to transport luggage and booze!

Here’s a helpful tip: make sure your family believes there’s a pot of gold waiting at the end of your rainbow and hopefully they’ll treat you as they should. They don’t need to know the truth, do they?