Nevermind.

No one has the right to make you feel like crap but yourself. He has no place in telling you who you can and can't be friends with, and who you can and can't go out with.

But here's my assumption as to why he's acting the way he is:

He's losing his eyesight, unable to work and support his family, is overweight, and probably feels like shit because of it. I wouldn't doubt it if he was worried about possibly losing you if you saw 'the outside world', and associated with people aside from himself. In keeping you to himself and away from the real world and other people, he keeps the possibility of you seeing a better way of life to a near minimum.

You make a new friend, and he feels threatened because of his issues with himself. He feels threatened when someone else has a differing opinion from his own because it might mean that he's wrong, and in his current state of mind he needs to justify himself (to you, and to himself).

The thing is, this might be completely subconcious on his part. It might not be intentional, thought out, or planned (then again, he could be perfectly aware of his actions).

The best suggestion I have for you is to talk to him about it. Explain that you love him, and just because of his hardships, that isn't going to change. That you're faithful to him, and that isn't going to change. Explain to him that even the happiest couples can't survive if they only ever deal socially with each other. Humans are social beings, we need people to maintain our happiness. This goes for him, as well as you. He can't be too happy when he's really unable to do things for himself, and is stuck alone or with you... just like you need friends, he most likely needs friends too.

If you make a new friend, take him out with you for a little bit first. Meet other couples, enjoy time with other people with him, give him the chance to be social. When he's a bit more social, he should probably relax about you going out for coffee with a girlfriend, or shopping with a neighbour, and maybe take the time to do something with a friend of his own.

As for the smoking, talk to him about it. Explain to him that he's killing his children, and you understand how difficult it is to quit. Offer to be there for him, take him through the steps to quit, go to the doctor with him, support him in it... it's a damn hard habit to break, but if he has the will to do it (as most parents do to protect their children), he'll be successful in the end.

He's most likely just feeling really insecure, and is afraid of losing you. Talking to him about it, reassuring him, giving him reason to not feel so insecure should help you along. The key to any relationship is communication. If you can't talk to him, you can't be with him. It'll fall apart.

Hope that's some help. :)

ok

Wow, Age...do you work for Dear Abby? ;)