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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

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Location: Columbus, OH, USA

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