I had to chuckle while reading a recent article in the New York Times on how environmental awareness is driving couples to the therapist’s office. It made me laugh, not because I find it funny when couples have problems, but because I have bickered with my significant other about these issues more than once.
All in all, my boyfriend and I are on the same page, but we have had our differences. He could give a rip about organic cotton bedding and clothing, while I would spend a fortune on it. He doesn’t always understand why I refuse to buy products produced by especially villainous companies. (“Why? Because Kraft is evil. End of story,” has had to suffice more than once.) And he has occasionally raised an eyebrow at the grocery bill, especially that time that he noticed I paid $13 for a few pounds of organic cucumber and $7 for a single Java-Log.
I am lucky; having grown up in Hawaii where resources can be scarce, Byron is in many ways innately more environmentally conscious than I am. It is rare but when we argue it is about household shopping and the extra money being spent on eco-friendly items. The few times we have seriously disagreed about purchases I have played the “I have to walk the walk if I’m gonna talk to talk” card, and that is usually enough to end the disagreement. Luckily he respects what I do here on Eco to the People.
Apparently some couples are having more serious disagreements about lifestyle choices and how money is spent, especially when the cost is related to green living choices. Has committing to living a green lifestyle caused problems in your relationship? And, if the answer is yes, how so?
Read the New York Times article “Therapists Report Increase in Green Disputes” here and weigh in on the subject.
Tags: couple's counseling, eco, eco living, eco shopping, Eco to the People, eco-friendly, green, green living, green shopping, New York Times, organic, organic cucumbers, organic food, organic produce