Skip to main content

Zombie Apocalypse [Part 1]

Carrying (CCW) as a Father
Part 1: Where it Started

Growing up, I think I shot a weapon twice ... rifles, definitely no handguns or shotguns.  I remember shooting a black powder kit rifle that my father built that almost took my shoulder off.  My father also had a .22 that we used to kill a few ears of corn.

I did get a much stronger exposure to a variety of weapons while serving in the US Army.

Over the years, I expanded on the basic skills I developed ... even to the point of competing now and then.  But, as with most things in life, I drifted away from shooting.  I've always seen "range time" as something of a group activity, so the idea of heading out to the range by myself seemed odd.  The fact that I wasn't shooting was certainly not a lack of interest ... more that I just let life get in the way.

About six months before Patrick was born, I asked Jen what she wanted for Christmas.  And, even though we had talked about her learning to shoot in the past (we were married six years at this point), I was still surprised when she mentioned learning to shoot as a potential gift.  I hadn't been out shooting in probably fifteen years and Jen had never even held a weapon.

As Christmas approached and Jen started to show, we discussed this option as a practical present ... unsure how our child would react to the range time, we decided it would be best to wait.

The discussions continued over the months and evolved to looking into why we wanted to start such an activity.    We knew this was not just a matter of learning how to shoot.  We were beginning a long-term commitment ... to put the proper amount of time and effort into doing something right.

As parents, we both felt strongly that getting our license to carry a concealed weapon was to become an important part of our ability to protect our family.  Without a child in the mix, this conversation never came up.

And so it was, almost a year later, that Jen took a lesson to learn about handguns.  Not long after that, both of us were sitting in a CCW course in preparation to get our license.

It is my firm belief that this is just the beginning of something bound to become a significant part of our lifestyle and even something that will become part of teaching valuable life lessons to our son.

Part 1:   Where it Started
Part 2:   Rise in Violent Crime
Part 3:   Shooting as a Sport
Part 4:   Protecting Myself
Part 5:   Protecting My Family
Labels:
Location: Columbus, OH, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Terror or Anger

Jennifer and I woke about twenty minutes ago to Patrick crying ... nothing unusual. I asked her to get him since I have to start getting ready for work in about three hours (yes, I have to work on a Saturday). Where things became unusual was the loud, sustained crash, and Patrick's cries rising to a hefty scream. Being the concerned parent that I am ... with visions of his changing table collapsed on top of him, I rushed to their aid. "What was that?" I cried. Jennifer, weakly replied, "I fell down the stairs." With Patrick screaming at the top of his lungs, I think I actually asked her to repeat what she said. I found my wife sitting, with her legs out and my son in her arms, at the bottom of the stairs. Asking if she and Patrick were OK was mixed into confused questioning about what happened. Somehow, her feet went out from under her (we suspect a couple of the leaves that Patrick likes to play with were on the steps). While my real concern was i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Morning Rite

This morning was unusual. Patrick woke at three in the morning and was still up and about when I got up for work at five. While there was nothing unusual to this point, having him join me in the bathroom as I got ready for my work day was ... I was closing the door and turning on the lights, when the door opened back up and there stood my son. He joined me. I put him on the counter with his feet in the sink while we brushed our teeth. I left him to his mother as I got into the shower. Patrick quickly opened the door to the shower. "Patrick, Papa's going to get cold in there," his mother intoned. I told her that it was warm enough in the bathroom. No water was splashing out, so I had few concerns. I passed toys to Patrick, only to have them thrown back at me. All fun and games! Then, he wandered off for a few seconds ... and the toilet flushed. So much for a warm shower! All in fun. What an amazing way to start the day ...
Post a Comment
Read more

"Hello?"

We walked into my parents house ... looking for Papap. "Hello," we called. "'Ello," Patrick mimicked. "Hello," we called again, laughing a bit. "'Ello," Patrick mimicked again, delighted that he could get us laughing that easily. Out in the back yard, he went for the shovel (small blue plastic one I got for him a while back). "Maybe he should go shovel in the sand-box," Papap said ... Off he went to the sand-box, lugging the shovel. Later I asked him if he wanted raisins. Shaking his head no, he headed for the fridge. "Eeze," he said ... Cheese, he intended. His comprehension and vocal capacity is growing by leaps and bounds!
Post a Comment
Read more