Too late to start?

[Rhino Hunter]

I am 70 years "young" and I will tell you I have worse classification of severe spinal stenosis and severe spinal arthritis that can be debilitating at times. Actually most times. I had my best year of deer hunting ever last fall and it was hard to do but it was worth every second of the effort. I went elk hunting last fall and toughed it out right up to being snowed out and having to break camp for a bug out. But when I am in the woods, watching dawn break and woods coming alive, pain just melts away and I am in a really good place. If the shooting of a deer is of question, still go and sit with your buddy if he is ok with it to experience it first hand. Maybe you won't like it or maybe you will absolutely love it. Hunting is not killing but the summation of a total experience that cannot be easily described to anyone unless you actually experience it. Hearing a deer walking up on you will elevate your senses to a degree you never thought possible and even if you do not shoot anything that experience alone will be worth every second in the woods. If you take the time to be an observer, you will see animals do things that you didn't think was possible and sometimes laughable. Bring a camera, bring a lunch, take a nap in the woods, enjoy the moment is what I will tell you.

Oh yeah, my wife will not eat venison but she understands my time in the woods is my mental health fix and she hopes I can do it for as long as I can stand up.

Muddy boots,

Very, very well stated. I was going to post something similar but it wound not have been any where near as articulate as you did. You summed up my thoughts and perspective completely. I thank you for that.

To me hunting is about the entire process, the time spent with friends, and most importantly time outdoors.

I hope the OP goes hunting. His wife will get over it.

 

[flyguy1]

I grew up in a mule deer area and didn't start shooting whitetail deer until 30 some odd years later. Mule deer are very fast to bone sour. Once I learned the gutless method of field dressing animals the bones were immediately removed and the meat was placed into coolers in bags and covered with ice. It was during this time I learned to cook venison medium rare and what a palate experience took place. We now prefer whitetail over elk. But, it has been proven scientifically that venison doesn't have enzymes that break it down in aging it like beef and elk do to make it tender. Some of the best and most tender venison I have ever eaten was that which was cooked within a few hours of dressing it.
Thanks for your comments!

Not absent, just less of it. Venison numbers in the first column, beef in the second.

A calpain (/ˈkælpeɪn/;[1] EC 3.4.22.52, EC 3.4.22.53) is a protein belonging to the family of calcium-dependent, non-lysosomal cysteine proteases (proteolytic enzymes) expressed ubiquitously in mammals and many other organisms. Calpains constitute the C2 family of protease clan CA in the MEROPS database. The calpain proteolytic system includes the calpain proteases, the small regulatory subunit CAPNS1, also known as CAPN4, and the endogenous calpain-specific inhibitor, calpastatin. (OK, my name is Flyguy and I was a Biochemistry nerd:>)

Having said that, we usually have the heart and liver the night after, then the tenderloins so fresh or aged cooked right (no onion/mushroom soup please) it's all good.

μ + m‐calpain (pH 7.4)	688	759
μ + m‐calpain (pH 5.5)	330	490

 

[James K.]

It is ABSOLUTELY worth the effort.

While we aren't as far along in our life experiences as you are, I introduced a coworker to hunting this last year. His wife had all of the same concerns (not going to eat it, didn't want to see it, fear for his safety, "this isn't who we/you are", how much is this going to cost, how long are you going, you are going to get lost...... he heard it all and I helped him with informative replies to each line of questioning. We started well in advance, with family discussions and conditioning hikes starting in February (in the stairs at work), shooting practice starting in May, etc. we got his first animal last April (a jake Turkey). We made a point of looking up the best recipe we could find (MeatEater) so that his family would truly enjoy their inaugural taste of wild game meat. Begrudgingly.... they loved it!

He gained a little bit of rope and got clearance to go on a few deer hunts last fall. We went out for a 3-day mule deer hunt and had a great adventure (several close calls). He went on a semi-guided hunt in Montana shortly after that and got his first big game animal. Again, he went to great lengths to learn the art of cooking wild game and his family slowly came around (meal by meal). They have made a complete transformation and she has now instructed him that it's his job to fill the freezer again.

it's possible, but it's a very long and delicate series of discussions. Keep in mind, his wife grew up thinking very poorly of hunters and was of the absolute belief that wild game tasted horrid (just like your wife). He took the patient and communicative approach, in addition to learning the ropes in the kitchen, and it paid off. He gets the multi-level satisfaction of hunting and eating what he kills, plus the newfound purpose and connection to the mountains, she spends less time in the kitchen and has come to see her husband as more of a provider than ever before.

take the long road and find the way to communicate the importance of why you want to do this. Listen to the MeatEater and Hunting Collective podcasts, they are very eloquent in their argument "for hunting", it might help you form your own justification.

Sounds like you just laid out a roadmap for success...…Awesome.....thank you for taking the time to respond & for sharing your story.....Hopefully it will not only just help me but others also.....VERY much Appreciated.

 

[James K.]

I have read your post and the many varied responses and since opinions are like @$$&@$#% and "Free", I think I will throw my experiences it the hat: I am age 77, married to the same woman 56 yrs. Over the past nine years I have battled a stroke, cancer twice, diabetes, contamination poisoning, and several serious surgeries due to the contaminated mesh being inserted into my body during hernia surgery, heart problems, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Add that to the fact I married an out of state city girl from a Non-Wildlife Appreciating Family, with a Very Controlling Mother and a Very Wimpy Father (Great Guy, just a Complete Whoosie and Miserable most of the time). My wife does not care at all for hunting, fishing, or eating fish or wild game of any type. I am not going to lie and say she did not start out complaining about my hunting, fishing & shooting activities, as well as, my independent nature. I don't tell her who she can be friends with or what activities she can participate in and it is for sure I am not going to allow her to control my honorable activities or friends. Most of my close friends are hunters and or fishermen and I cherish them nearly as much as my family. At my age, outside of my current family of wife, grown kids, and grandkids, there is nothing more important to me than my God and my circle of close friends, all of whom, hunt, fish, or target shoot with me. While I am much better today than for several of the past nine years, my faith, family, and friends have been what has kept me sane and motivated to stand up, fight, and keep going. When illness had me hospitalized or homebound, my Hunting, Fishing & Shooting Buddies would come to visit, and instead of telling me how sick I was or how bad I looked, they would joke about my laziness and for me to get up and do something with them. When homebound and too weak to drive, they would get me out, take me for a simple ride around, sometimes to and around the hunting club, or for a leisurely boat ride on the river just to enjoy the wildlife and beauty of nature. During the two seasons that I was too weak to hunt, they insisted I accompany them on our annual, away from home, professionally guided waterfowl hunt. They assisted me in every way, from carrying my gear, holding me up to get into and out of the boats & blinds, everything. Those two years I was too weak to shoulder my shotgun, much less shoot anything, but it was great just being with my friends, watching them shoot, congratulating them when they took a bird, ragging them when they missed and just being out in the wonders of God's Creation. Sorry to ramble so much, but, I simply want to emphasize to you; CLOSE FRIENDS ARE VERY IMPORTANT, and INDIVIDUAL INDEPENDENCE IS JUST AS IMPORTANT! Remember, YOU are a grown man and HUSBAND, she is a grown woman and WIFE, NOT YOUR MOTHER! So go hunting with your friend and if you harvest anything, bring it home, cook, and eat it. Don't insist that she eat, but, do invite her to join you. I assume with 35 years of marriage under your belt, your kids should be grown and out on their own, so to reiterate, your wife is just that, your wife, not your mother! You each owe the other love, respect, and caring assistance, NOT OBEDIENCE!! I don't know if it will work for you, but IT DID AND DOES, for my grandfather, father, myself, my sons, and my close friends! May God Bless You and Good Luck!

WOW, You are a true fighter & inspiration.....Your friends are true GEMS & I wish the best for you in the future in every respect. My hat is off to you for your perseverance & hanging in there when most would turn up their toes...You seem to have been tried in every way & have endured much hardship. I am thankful for your story & hope you continue to thrive...….I am so green to hunting that i thought i had missed out on the whole season, but have only missed the deadline for a "special area" late hunt. I still have the general season & can buy my license & tag at any time...…..So we spoke about me going & it seems like it may be more of a possibility now.
I will let all you guys know how it goes. ……..Thank you for all your support , I am humbled that so many would take the time to reply & give me so much encouragement.....It is incredible. God Bless you as well & Thank you again & Take care.

 

[James K.]

This is seriously an incredible offer. Many of us here, myself included, have spent an incredible amount of time and $ to pull off out of state hunts, I can't stress enough the value of what is being offered here.
If you are curious about hunting, even if you don't have a tag, the experience of a CO horsepacking elk hunt has the potential to be something you cherish the memory of for the rest of your life.
I encourage you not to squander this opportunity it really is an incredible offer.

Thank you.....I have contacted Base424 & we will keep in touch over the summer & see how it goes....you are absolutely right. I am humbled at the incredible outpouring of support & encouragement. This is truly a great community to belong to & I will make the best of it. I am looking forward to letting you guys & gals know how it ultimately turns out.

 

[JMB 1911]

I am glad you are going. Hunting isn't for everyone but for me hunting , shooting and fishing have been the only thing I really wanted to do since my dad took me when I was 2 or 3.

Looking back the passion has molded my entire life and led to my professional success. My wife had no exposure to guns or hunting but now at least 2 meals a week are game and fish. My daughter and grandkids eat game and hunt and fish.

It is never to late to learn or participate in such a worth while activity

 

[WYO300RUM]

I have read your post and the many varied responses and since opinions are like @$$&@$#% and "Free", I think I will throw my experiences it the hat: I am age 77, married to the same woman 56 yrs. Over the past nine years I have battled a stroke, cancer twice, diabetes, contamination poisoning, and several serious surgeries due to the contaminated mesh being inserted into my body during hernia surgery, heart problems, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Add that to the fact I married an out of state city girl from a Non-Wildlife Appreciating Family, with a Very Controlling Mother and a Very Wimpy Father (Great Guy, just a Complete Whoosie and Miserable most of the time). My wife does not care at all for hunting, fishing, or eating fish or wild game of any type. I am not going to lie and say she did not start out complaining about my hunting, fishing & shooting activities, as well as, my independent nature. I don't tell her who she can be friends with or what activities she can participate in and it is for sure I am not going to allow her to control my honorable activities or friends. Most of my close friends are hunters and or fishermen and I cherish them nearly as much as my family. At my age, outside of my current family of wife, grown kids, and grandkids, there is nothing more important to me than my God and my circle of close friends, all of whom, hunt, fish, or target shoot with me. While I am much better today than for several of the past nine years, my faith, family, and friends have been what has kept me sane and motivated to stand up, fight, and keep going. When illness had me hospitalized or homebound, my Hunting, Fishing & Shooting Buddies would come to visit, and instead of telling me how sick I was or how bad I looked, they would joke about my laziness and for me to get up and do something with them. When homebound and too weak to drive, they would get me out, take me for a simple ride around, sometimes to and around the hunting club, or for a leisurely boat ride on the river just to enjoy the wildlife and beauty of nature. During the two seasons that I was too weak to hunt, they insisted I accompany them on our annual, away from home, professionally guided waterfowl hunt. They assisted me in every way, from carrying my gear, holding me up to get into and out of the boats & blinds, everything. Those two years I was too weak to shoulder my shotgun, much less shoot anything, but it was great just being with my friends, watching them shoot, congratulating them when they took a bird, ragging them when they missed and just being out in the wonders of God's Creation. Sorry to ramble so much, but, I simply want to emphasize to you; CLOSE FRIENDS ARE VERY IMPORTANT, and INDIVIDUAL INDEPENDENCE IS JUST AS IMPORTANT! Remember, YOU are a grown man and HUSBAND, she is a grown woman and WIFE, NOT YOUR MOTHER! So go hunting with your friend and if you harvest anything, bring it home, cook, and eat it. Don't insist that she eat, but, do invite her to join you. I assume with 35 years of marriage under your belt, your kids should be grown and out on their own, so to reiterate, your wife is just that, your wife, not your mother! You each owe the other love, respect, and caring assistance, NOT OBEDIENCE!! I don't know if it will work for you, but IT DID AND DOES, for my grandfather, father, myself, my sons, and my close friends! May God Bless You and Good Luck!

I don't even have the words. All I can say is very very inspiring. Thank you for telling us all that and God bless you.

 

[WYO300RUM]

I am 70 years "young" and I will tell you I have worse classification of severe spinal stenosis and severe spinal arthritis that can be debilitating at times. Actually most times. I had my best year of deer hunting ever last fall and it was hard to do but it was worth every second of the effort. I went elk hunting last fall and toughed it out right up to being snowed out and having to break camp for a bug out. But when I am in the woods, watching dawn break and woods coming alive, pain just melts away and I am in a really good place. If the shooting of a deer is of question, still go and sit with your buddy if he is ok with it to experience it first hand. Maybe you won't like it or maybe you will absolutely love it. Hunting is not killing but the summation of a total experience that cannot be easily described to anyone unless you actually experience it. Hearing a deer walking up on you will elevate your senses to a degree you never thought possible and even if you do not shoot anything that experience alone will be worth every second in the woods. If you take the time to be an observer, you will see animals do things that you didn't think was possible and sometimes laughable. Bring a camera, bring a lunch, take a nap in the woods, enjoy the moment is what I will tell you.

Oh yeah, my wife will not eat venison but she understands my time in the woods is my mental health fix and she hopes I can do it for as long as I can stand up.

Well said. I can relate to most of it. Stay with it Muddy. It's what you have to do in what little time we have. Most don't understand.
James , hang in there. It's well worth the fight and the experience. Better than wondering and wishing you did the rest of your life. Before I got married I told her I hunted. She said oh that's great ! Within a year that all changed. A lot. She went on one mule deer hunt with me in Utah before married. Didn't mind so much taking the animal's life. Was the gutting and cutting it up she didn't like. Never went again and I never said anything negative to her about it. Divorced in 5 yrs. We had one son . I took him hunting all the time. He loved being in the woods when little. When older he carried a rifle with me in Ca., Ut., Az. and Wy.. He has shot a couple buck deer and lope buck here in Wy.. (last time 2012) He lost interest in it and has a job that's hard to get away from. He says he wants to come here and hunt again. Maybe he will. I pray once before I go to my happy hunting grounds I still buy him licenses and points in 4 states. It could be a big waste of money...
Faith. Keep the faith James .

 

[Alibiiv]

I have been married for 35+ yrs. I have never hunted anything but fish & only then a few times a year with 3 fishing buddies. Now my fishing buddies have either retired & moved away or have plain retired. I am the last one working & a co-worker whom i have known & worked with for 25 yrs has invited me Deer Hunting for several years now. I want to go, the deadline for getting tags is in 2 days. This fall i will be 60 yr old. I did not bring it up to my wife before because i know how she feels about hunters......because her dad & uncles hunted & she grew up & did not appreciate their demeanor. Last night i told her i wanted to go this fall, She gave every reason under the sun ranging from , "This is not you" to , "i don't want the mess in the house, i will not eat deer meat, Your 60 yrs old, you have a bad back, you could get shot. You are not going to do this. You did not grow up this way"...…..My question is , How do i get thru to her? I do not want to be insensitive but is hunting worth pursuing at my age? I feel i would regret it if i didn't at least try. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

If I could answer the question of how to get through to a woman, I would either be walking on water or a millionaire!! What I can tell you is that I will be seventy-four years old this year, I have to rods and six screws holding my back together, have had two heart attacks and have three stents, along with a whole lot of other ailments that goes along with having 100+ years of wear-and-tear on a seventy-four year old body. So.........the ill-health argument goes out the window!! I black bear hunt in September and deer hunt in November, and......love every minute of it. When we are hunting, son is my best friend, we are planning next year's hunt. As for mess in the house, or......not eating the meat, both of those arguments can go out the window by donating the meat to a local charity/kitchen.

Now........you're sixty-years old and still working, sounds like a good man to me! When I had the two heart attacks I was fifty-four years old, blew out my back (2 rods and six screws) and had to retire, at "fifty-four" years old. It was at this time that I figured out that life is not a dress rehearsal!!! The two heart attacks af fifty-four made me realize how precious and how short life is!! I also had a wife who would not let me do anything, so......in one year, I lost my health, my job (that I loved) and.....my marriage; again this is when I realized that life is not a dress rehearsal!! If you want to go deer hunting, my suggestion to you is to go deer hunting, period!! Your voice ought to count in your marriage also!! A number of years ago I was at a barbecue at my "ex-wife's" house, talking with the "ex's" cousin who is really into hunting. He was talking about his bear hunting adventures and asked me to go. I told him that I would like to go some day, then..........I started thinking??????????? Like you I was concerned about sitting on a porch, in a rocking chair and saying to myself, "Boy I wish that I had gone bear hunting when Donald asked me to go!!" It was at that point that I asked the cousin, Donald, for the telephone number of the outfitter and have been bear hunting since. Since that day, my best friend (son) has also taken up bear hunting with me. MY suggestion to you, or anyone reading this thread, is that if you want to go hunting, then do it while you are still physically able and capable to do it!! No one can turn back time anymore than "one cannot unring the bell"!! Go hunting and the rest will all fall in place.

 

[Gone Ballistic]

Not absent, just less of it. Venison numbers in the first column, beef in the second.

A calpain (/ˈkælpeɪn/;[1] EC 3.4.22.52, EC 3.4.22.53) is a protein belonging to the family of calcium-dependent, non-lysosomal cysteine proteases (proteolytic enzymes) expressed ubiquitously in mammals and many other organisms. Calpains constitute the C2 family of protease clan CA in the MEROPS database. The calpain proteolytic system includes the calpain proteases, the small regulatory subunit CAPNS1, also known as CAPN4, and the endogenous calpain-specific inhibitor, calpastatin. (OK, my name is Flyguy and I was a Biochemistry nerd:>)

Having said that, we usually have the heart and liver the night after, then the tenderloins so fresh or aged cooked right (no onion/mushroom soup please) it's all good.

μ + m‐calpain (pH 7.4)	688	759
μ + m‐calpain (pH 5.5)	330	490

Thanks for the info. I recall many articles that were written in magazines like Outdoor Life and Sports Afield years ago that addressed some of your information. After doing about the same thing as you in camps of the past, sometimes including the briscut and tenderloin for those who didn't like organ meat, the taste seemed superior.
Thanks for your info and input.

 

[James K.]

Well said. I can relate to most of it. Stay with it Muddy. It's what you have to do in what little time we have. Most don't understand.
James , hang in there. It's well worth the fight and the experience. Better than wondering and wishing you did the rest of your life. Before I got married I told her I hunted. She said oh that's great ! Within a year that all changed. A lot. She went on one mule deer hunt with me in Utah before married. Didn't mind so much taking the animal's life. Was the gutting and cutting it up she didn't like. Never went again and I never said anything negative to her about it. Divorced in 5 yrs. We had one son . I took him hunting all the time. He loved being in the woods when little. When older he carried a rifle with me in Ca., Ut., Az. and Wy.. He shot a couple buck deer and and a lope buck here in Wy.. He lost interest in it and has a job that's hard to get away from. He says he wants to come here and hunt again. Maybe he will. I pray once before I go to my happy hunting grounds I still buy him licenses and points in 4 states. It could be a big waste of money...
Faith. Keep the faith James .

Sure hope you get to hunt with your son, you are a good father......i don't think its a waste of $$……I am hoping along with you it will pay off in the end, then you both will be glad. I would love to go fishing with my dad again, but he is 1/2 way across the country & has heart problems. Time is precious. Thank you for sharing your story!!!

 

[Gone Ballistic]

I have read your post and the many varied responses and since opinions are like @$$&@$#% and "Free", I think I will throw my experiences it the hat: I am age 77, married to the same woman 56 yrs. Over the past nine years I have battled a stroke, cancer twice, diabetes, contamination poisoning, and several serious surgeries due to the contaminated mesh being inserted into my body during hernia surgery, heart problems, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Add that to the fact I married an out of state city girl from a Non-Wildlife Appreciating Family, with a Very Controlling Mother and a Very Wimpy Father (Great Guy, just a Complete Whoosie and Miserable most of the time). My wife does not care at all for hunting, fishing, or eating fish or wild game of any type. I am not going to lie and say she did not start out complaining about my hunting, fishing & shooting activities, as well as, my independent nature. I don't tell her who she can be friends with or what activities she can participate in and it is for sure I am not going to allow her to control my honorable activities or friends. Most of my close friends are hunters and or fishermen and I cherish them nearly as much as my family. At my age, outside of my current family of wife, grown kids, and grandkids, there is nothing more important to me than my God and my circle of close friends, all of whom, hunt, fish, or target shoot with me. While I am much better today than for several of the past nine years, my faith, family, and friends have been what has kept me sane and motivated to stand up, fight, and keep going. When illness had me hospitalized or homebound, my Hunting, Fishing & Shooting Buddies would come to visit, and instead of telling me how sick I was or how bad I looked, they would joke about my laziness and for me to get up and do something with them. When homebound and too weak to drive, they would get me out, take me for a simple ride around, sometimes to and around the hunting club, or for a leisurely boat ride on the river just to enjoy the wildlife and beauty of nature. During the two seasons that I was too weak to hunt, they insisted I accompany them on our annual, away from home, professionally guided waterfowl hunt. They assisted me in every way, from carrying my gear, holding me up to get into and out of the boats & blinds, everything. Those two years I was too weak to shoulder my shotgun, much less shoot anything, but it was great just being with my friends, watching them shoot, congratulating them when they took a bird, ragging them when they missed and just being out in the wonders of God's Creation. Sorry to ramble so much, but, I simply want to emphasize to you; CLOSE FRIENDS ARE VERY IMPORTANT, and INDIVIDUAL INDEPENDENCE IS JUST AS IMPORTANT! Remember, YOU are a grown man and HUSBAND, she is a grown woman and WIFE, NOT YOUR MOTHER! So go hunting with your friend and if you harvest anything, bring it home, cook, and eat it. Don't insist that she eat, but, do invite her to join you. I assume with 35 years of marriage under your belt, your kids should be grown and out on their own, so to reiterate, your wife is just that, your wife, not your mother! You each owe the other love, respect, and caring assistance, NOT OBEDIENCE!! I don't know if it will work for you, but IT DID AND DOES, for my grandfather, father, myself, my sons, and my close friends! May God Bless You and Good Luck!

I have been married for 35+ yrs. I have never hunted anything but fish & only then a few times a year with 3 fishing buddies. Now my fishing buddies have either retired & moved away or have plain retired. I am the last one working & a co-worker whom i have known & worked with for 25 yrs has invited me Deer Hunting for several years now. I want to go, the deadline for getting tags is in 2 days. This fall i will be 60 yr old. I did not bring it up to my wife before because i know how she feels about hunters......because her dad & uncles hunted & she grew up & did not appreciate their demeanor. Last night i told her i wanted to go this fall, She gave every reason under the sun ranging from , "This is not you" to , "i don't want the mess in the house, i will not eat deer meat, Your 60 yrs old, you have a bad back, you could get shot. You are not going to do this. You did not grow up this way"...…..My question is , How do i get thru to her? I do not want to be insensitive but is hunting worth pursuing at my age? I feel i would regret it if i didn't at least try. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

I believe I have found the answer to your question through a story I heard years ago.
A man was walking down a beach one day when he stumbled across a strange looking bottle with a writing on it. As he rubbed the sand off the bottle a genie appeared. He told the man he would grant him any wish he desired for releasing him from the bottle. The man told him of his lifetime desire to go visit Hawaii. He stated his huge fear of flying and he also got horrible seasickness, so ship travel was not an option. "What I want for my wish is a highway from Los Angeles to Honolulu. " The genie replied:"This would be a building of such magnitude. I would have to build pillars miles deep in some places, create fueling stops, lodging places, emergency services, mechanical places. This would be impossible to do. Isn't there something else you could wish for that I could fulfill my debt? Please think of it. " After a few moments the man asked:" You know, I have always wondered why certain times of the month woman are sweet but then for a few days every month they become impossible to be around. Can you explain why? " The genie replied:"Do you want it in two lanes or four? "

 

[Timeout]

I'll admit that I haven't read the entirety of this. I read some of this to my wife of 52+ years as we drank our once daily beer 30 together on the deck. My wife wants to know if James's wife is a demorat? On a serious note, I recently had a brother-in-law take his own life. I can no way pretend to know why. What I do know is that his spouse made every decision large and small. He had said once many years ago that his folks had divorced and he vowed never to do so. I believe he was about the same age as you James. I feel for you. I'm a very lucky man. My wife and I don't put one another in a bubble trying to "protect" each other. Sure a person could get shot while hunting, but chances of being killed in an auto accident are far greater. Yes, my wife shoots and deer hunts, so I can't relate to the circumstances that you are dealing with regards to hunting. I can say unequivocally though that it is not good for your mental health to have a spouse making such important decisions for you when the issue is something that has no dire consequences for her. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. She'll get over it.

 

[flyguy1]

To echo the "life's short" theme, there's an anecdote I read in one of the "real" outdoor magazines (Outdoor Life, etc., decades ago before they were just gear review rags). Incidentally it was St. Jack O'Connor who cursed me with my love of fine walnut; dude cost me some serious coin. I told it to my then-girlfriend (now wife of 40+ years) when we were deciding on whether we should go backpacking when we had very little money. It was told like this:

"When we were growing up, we were a family of five in a small house with one bathroom. We were continually saving up to add another bathroom. Every time we almost reached our goal, we decided to spend the money on a hunting, fishing, or camping trip. Now, as we are older, and get together with our aging parents and our siblings and our pack of kids, we often reminisce about those days. It's hard to think that we would look back and say, wow we sure had cool bathrooms."