Love, Luggage, and the Man Who Must Apparently Inspect Every Canyon in Utah
I have long believed that money arguments are rarely about money. Money is merely the unlucky little messenger forced to deliver far more uncomfortable news. Sometimes the real argument is about security. Sometimes it is about control. Sometimes it is about whose dreams are treated as essential and whose dreams are filed under “maybe someday, if there’s anything left.” And sometimes it is about a man who apparently needs to revisit every canyon in Utah as though one of them owes him money. A recent Carolyn Hax column presents a conflict between an engaged couple who once shared a love of backpacking. The woman now has a day job and a chronic autoimmune condition that makes backpacking more difficult. She wants to use some of their shared resources for overseas travel while her fiancé continues taking day hikes and backpacking trips. These outings routinely consume gas, meals, supplies, vacation days and occasional unpaid time off. He does not consider the smaller expenses especially si...
