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

Getting Involved

This is the second night in a row that we were able to spend time and Grandma and Papap's ... Patrick enjoys it so much! We even had a rousing rendition of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" with all five of us involved ... yes, Patrick is pitching in now. He runs from person to person, giving a bit to each one of us ... there is never a dull moment. Tonight, he repeated a new activity from last night. Last night, it was getting everyone involved in chasing him around the house ... tonight, we had this activity, but what we saw was that he wanted to play different games and wanted certain people involved. This is when he went to each person that needed to be involved and grabbed a finger, pulling them along. He even checked every now and then to make sure they were still following. Such an amazing child ... knows how to ensure that we sleep well.
Post a Comment
Read more

Outside Play

Patrick loves to be outside. When he arrived home yesterday, I was just getting finished with some weeding ... he and Jen immediately jumped in to help. We dragged branches to the pile in the back yard. Then, I found Jen and Patrick getting ready for a bike ride. Wanting to spend time with my wife and son, I opted into the ride. We didn't go far, my back and legs were a bit sore at that point ... but we did get out together as a family. The bike seat we have is not the kind I remember as I grew up. Patrick's is pretty close to my seat, in fact my heels hit the lower part of his seat if I am not paying attention. Despite this, we have a lot of fun. He loves to look around and notices things ... at one point, Jen wandered off and he started calling to her until she headed back to what he considered a safe distance. He is also a boy and likes to play. He "high-fived" my back and spent a few minutes pulling my shirt out. I hope I never forget the head-butt...
Post a Comment
Read more

Family Time with Shoes

Last night was cool. Patrick was in a playful mood ... dumping food and drinks all over the place, sneaking toys over the back of the couch (then getting upset when I passed them back to him), and climbing over everything. He also got a family game going ... with everyone ready for bed, he had us put his shoes on, then Papa and Mama had to put on their boots. It was all very funny and exciting ... mostly watching his intensity. Then, we had to follow him ... around and around we went. Through the kitchen, into the dining room, through the family room, past the front door and into the kitchen again ... over and over, around and around ... stomping our feet in some sort of family train! Every now and then, Jen or I would fall behind and invariably, Patrick would stop to make sure that we caught back up. We played other games, as well ... but we always seemed to head back to the train ... oh, and don't forget the shoes ...
Post a Comment
Read more