DEAR ABBY: Since I retired, I've become my wife's prisoner. If I want to explore a hardware store, watch a stock ticker, go fishing or play golf, I am called "selfish" and "inconsiderate." She also gets upset if I don't want to follow her around the shopping mall. (I do plenty of that, by the way.)
I am 67, and my wife is 63. We both drive and each have our own car, so it's not like she's tied to the house.
Am I wrong to want some "space" sometimes? -- CAPTIVE HUSBAND IN COLORADO
DEAR CAPTIVE: Every couple benefits from some time alone. It gives them more to talk about when they are together. As long as you devote a portion of the day exclusively to your wife and her needs, she should have no objection if you go off by yourself occasionally.
Books are available at the library on how to handle retirement. Check some out and educate yourself.