"My wife won't let me ..." I hear that a lot with increasing regularity. It seems to snap out of a man's mouth as quickly as a "Ten-hut!" brings a platoon to attention. It might be one of the only vocal command signals in diving because it seems any question about spending money in the industry commands a man to involve his wife.
"My wife won't let me go diving."
"My wife won't let me buy it."
"My wife won't let me take that class."
"My wife will let me dive, but never in a cave."
If you are lucky, he may be emancipated enough to say, "I have to ask my wife ..." I grew up in a world where men didn't have to ask. I grew up in a home where my mother was a college professor and my father had a high school diploma and a DD-214. They told each other (not with a command voice) what they were going to do, if my dad wanted to go hunting or fishing, or, my mom wanted to ride her horse, or take us kids somewhere. If it came to spending money they'd discuss it, but it was usually when to buy and not "if." How could my mom get new furniture or how could my dad get a new table saw and stay on budget.
Something seems to have happened to men. Did chivalry meet feminism and surrender the jewels? Are wives really not letting men do things? Have men become like children having to ask "mommy?" Or, are men just throwing their wives under the bus because it is the ultimate excuse?