Lots of ammo here.
My mother hated guns. She tolerated them because my dad's only real hobby was hunting and fishing. Most of his time he was working or taking care of us (the kids.) When I was getting married, she tried to interfere. She picked her time when my wife to be and I were at their house. She kind of forcefully said "you're not taking that gun collection with you, are you?" My wife to be didn't bite, she ignored it. Later when mother tried again to impose her anti gun views, she just said she grew up in a house full of guns, and kind of expected we'd have them, too. The gun collection was a pistol, a rifle, and a shotgun.
I was impoverished by college.
About 10 years later I had a good friend. Ole Hutch was hard on equipment, to say the least. He'd bought a new Jeep in the 77-78 period like a bunch of us. But he'd managed to blow up a few motors. Guess the old 304s weren't up to his abuse. And all the guys would pull together and find him a new motor and put it in. Not rocket science. Junked AMC V8s were cheap.
So one afternoon we were playing up at the dam. Old Hutch got in the throttle a bit much and another one bit the dust. It was about 30 miles from his home. So I did my duty, hooked up my tow rope and started pulling him toward home. I didn't mind, he was a good friend who would do anything for you. But it was still daylight out, so he started blowing the horn about 2/3rds of the way home. He wanted to pull into a car wash while the mud was still soft (its easier to work on a clean vehicle.)
It had the double benefit of it getting dark. One of our following vehicles took the lead and drove down his street, telling us on the CB there was a place open in front of his house, but a better one a block up the road (where we wouldn't have to go past his house.) So we very quietly rolled down the street, him whipping into the spot. But she was waiting and saw. She came out screaming. And with the ultimatum. Either the jeep goes, or she does. And there was no quieting her down.
So he just calmly told her how much he loves her. But then followed it by pointing out if she got away with it, she'd just pull it again and again. Then he told her he'd miss her, but the jeep stays, and he really wanted her to stay, too. They're still married.
I've also heard it said that marriage is just a series of compromises. And you'll make all of them.
But don't feel too sorry for my wife. A couple of years ago (make it 2007) I sold a Colt SAA to one of our members here (his FFL, actually). Then I took the money and bought her a Christmas present with it. A nice pendant, I mean a really nice one. Guns, jewelry, it doesn't really matter any more. The difference is I sold the gun without her knowing about it. Then bought her a present without her knowing. She was gracious and accepted it. The best present I've ever given.
