less people; more problems

There seems to be a real air of unhappiness pervading our visitors at work at the moment. Can the outside world really be so bad now, that people are unable to switch off on their holidays and leave it all behind? It would appear so. Be they older or younger, city folk or country bumpkins, male, female or any chosen gender in between, all and sundry have the same look of bewilderment and despair, and walk with slumped shoulders as if the labours of Hercules have worn them down to fatigue. We continue to provide them with entertainment, opportunities to relax, and distractions, and yet still they seem determined to wallow in their bathtubs full of fret, playing with their pillars of pessimism.
Nary a smile amongst them.
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. There is more and more bad news being reported and it's harder and harder to avoid it. Unless we force everyone to hand in their phone at the check-in desk there's no way of helping them disconnect. Although I dearly wish there was...

RC 7-10-25