True story. My wife was just like this. She tolerated the guns I brought into the marriage but hated to even look at them. My HBAR was straight from the gates of hell if you'd have asked her. I kept my CZ-85 on the top shelf of the bedroom closet for security. The kids were still in diapers and she began screaming how unsafe it was - they were still on sippy cups and couldn't take 3 steps without falling down, but I digress. I wanted a pistol safe to keep the CZ in the bedroom. Keep it locked up, but accessible. Nope, we couldn't afford to buy one, too expensive, make up your own reason and insert it here. So, it went downstairs into the rifle safe.
Fast forward a few months. She wakes up to a 'noise'. We lived out in the boonies. My wife has all the tactical common sense of a parrot, to this day. Any other incident like this I grabbed the pistol and cleared the house, check windows and doors. However things were about to change. My young wife is freaking out. Shaking me awake, not knowing how to whisper, there has got to be someone in the house because she just knows the sound she heard was a murderer. I look down at my adult Rottweiler who was the best guard dog you could ask for and she was looking at me wondering what all the fuss was about and why she was now awake to loud whispers. Keep i mind this was before cell phones and we didn't have a phone in the bedroom.
Now, things are about to change and these were the words said -
Wife -do you hear that?!
Me - I do, how long have you heard this? (I actually heard nothing)
Wife - its been going on for a few minutes and its getting louder. SOMEONE IS IN THE HOUSE! DO SOMETHING!
Me - Settle down honey. I will take care of this, but I need just one thing from you and you need to be brave. (by now she is nearing tears)
Wife - (Voice shaking) OK, what do you need me to do?
Me -I need you to, very quietly and carefully, go downstairs to the kitchen and grab my car keys from the kitchen counter. Then go downstairs again (we lived in a a split level) and open the gun safe. Grab my pistol and the magazine beside it. Bring it back up to me and I will the go clear the house. Don't forget, be quiet.
Wife didn't know rather to loose her mind in terror or hit me out of anger. After she settled down, I asked her to look at the dog and realize there was no one in the house. If there were, the dog would have responded. She settled down.
The next morning we had the conversation regarding how common sense works. I think it was around that time I told her she can ask me to do anything, but don't tell me how to do it. Mow the lawn? No problem, but don't come out and tell me what I'm doing wrong. Protect the family? Its my duty. But don't tell me to lock up an inanimate object two floors away because you watch too much TV, and then ask me to grab a coat hanger and save your life at 3am from an unknown number or people in our home.
Soon after money magically became available for a pistol safe that went into the closet. It was a miracle how that happened I tell ya.