The Fatal Lure of Greener Grass

Harty muses on the multi headed beast that is travel. 

Why is it so many relationships bust up at Christmas? Terrible timing. If someone’s going to leave you, why can’t they have the decency to do it in early January when everyone’s miserable? Pro windsurfers spending 30 weeks a year away in exotic climes should never be surprised to find the ‘Dear John (or Jane) …’ letter on the mantelpiece on their return, but I hadn’t seen this one coming.

On the same day as my romantic dismissal, I was asked to a party by two friends who’d just had their first child. God knows why I decided to attend a function tailor made to compound my misery, but I did. It was even worse than expected – Bing Crosby crooning to the tinkle of sleigh bells, baby gurgling in its holly-fringed crib as the proud couple embraced and cooed to create a scene which screamed “we’re secure, blissful and fulfilled – and you’re a sad lonely git with nothing!” A couple of hours later, Ian, the hubby, stumbled over slightly the worse for 4 champagne cocktails, looked me squarely in the eye and said: 

“You b@#¶*!d!”, I couldn’t think of a witty reply so I let him continue …