We’ve all seen it, we’ve all done it. We see people at the mall, holding hands, strolling through acres of sparkly stuff from China…
Or at the grocery store, deciding what kind of mushrooms to get or if this soy milk has fewer carbs than that almond milk (go for the almond)
It’s a common enough scene but is it really a good relationship builder?
Money is after all the main reason people fight and break-up. Cheating is the second but that’s a tale for another blog, here on the riverbanks, with hammy and his friends.
But I digress. I am good at that.
Often we don’t have a ‘want’ until we see something we want, so personally I do try to stay away from ‘marketplaces’ altogether unless it’s a farmers’ market. Even the grocery store is filled with processed foods in pretty packages that advertising has us brainwashed to believe is somehow better than good old-fashioned one ingredient foods. It’s a bit crazy. My friend actually called me up one time to tell me about a new product they were all crazy about which was *big name* frozen hash brown potatoes with peppers and onions.
I’m like; “I make fried potatoes with peppers and onions all the time. With garlic too, in a pan, with sesame oil or olive oil, yeah it’s really yummy”.
“But these are already chopped up for you. And only 2 bucks a bag”!
Are you kidding me? Is it really so hard to chop up an onion and a pepper and smash a garlic clove into a pan and fry up some potatoes? It costs about 50 cents a serving.
See? Pretty packaging! It manipulates the mind. And it works on me cuz my man is gorgeous and gets away with murder! *wink*
So you know what I say? Stay away from it if you can. Especially jewelry stores, this is not a place to casually stroll through. In fact it can be downright dangerous for your relationship. The notion that your value is somehow equated to the size of the rock on your hand is ridiculous and just another marketing manipulation. You can’t go in a jewelry store without wanting something. Save your money for something important and just skip it altogether.
Now you are asking;
“So, oh wise one…where should we go”?
Well if you like strolling together and looking at things, why not a museum? Pity the poor museum that just sits there looking pretty, always thrown over for the sparkly mall full of junk. Like a wallflower at a dance. Almost every city or town I’ve ever been to has at least one museum or art gallery or historical site. You can learn and see and feel and do. It’s enriching for the soul and promotes interesting conversation, togetherness and creates memories of something other than groceries. It reduces the ‘I wants’ that your poor brain is inundated with every day. It is just good. (That is the first time I’ve typed such a simple sentence but it is absolutely true!)
There are also Botanical Gardens, butterfly conservatories, observatories for star-gazing. Expand your mind, enrich your life and hence enrich your relationships. If you are on a chat line, seeking local singles, this subject would make a very interesting ice-breaker; “Hey, does anyone know of any local museums, or other mind-expanding places to explore? Hit me up”!
Now there’s a unique person, someone beyond the norm.
Live your life beyond the norm kiddies, never stop growing.
Peace. Love. Vegan.
