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Old October 28, 2005, 12:00 AM   #113
pax
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 16, 2000
Location: In a state of flux
Posts: 7,520
sgtdemeo ~

Here's a post I made a couple years ago, on another board. I'm posting it here in hopes that you will understand that carrying a gun all the time doesn't necessarily mean someone is the prisoner of their own fears. On the contrary, carrying a gun keeps my mind free to worry about other stuff.

Here's the post.

Quote:
The fact is, carrying a gun can be uncomfortable. The gun gets in the way of some activities, both literal and figurative. There is a constant and slightly uncomfortable awareness that the folks around me would frown upon me if they knew I had a gun under my outer clothing. Nevertheless, I continue to carry almost all day, almost every day -- and here's why.

Last week, I went to pick up two of my children from summer camp, and drop another two off at the same camp for the next session. The camp is about 3 hours from my house, in a rural area. The road we travel to get there is a two-lane highway, scenic and beautiful. And we were traveling in broad daylight.

Before I left the house, I put my gun on.

Did I expect any trouble? Nope. I just wear it as a matter of course. It's what I ordinarily do and that's what I did on this ordinary day.

After dropping one set of kids off and picking up the next set, the kids (ages 11 and 9) and I wandered down to the beach. We walked along a nearly empty boardwalk and enjoyed the sun and the crisp breeze. Yes, I still had my gun on. I didn't leave it in the car because I expected no trouble. I carried it, because that's what I always do.

Because we were enjoying ourselves, we stayed at the beach a bit longer than I had originally intended, and so it was nearly sunset before we got back in the car for the ride home. We got back in the car and I noticed the car needed fuel, so we stopped at the gas station. There were other people fueling up, and I did my standard observant glance around the station before I stepped out of the car. I did that, because that's what I always do. Filled the tank. Got back in the car ... and the car spluttered spluttered didn't want to start.

Hmph.

My sons and I push-started the cruddy little car and I mumbled a few choice comments under my breath. The car was going, sounded all right, and I was wondering ... "Now what??" The ride home was going to take about 3 hours. We'd piddled around at the beach so that it would be full dark before we got home. For various reasons, I do not own a cell phone* -- not that it would have mattered since this particular stretch of road is notorious for its lack of cell service. Was the car reliable enough to drive down the deserted stretch of road? Should I risk it? If I didn't risk it, what would I do instead? There were no service shops open in this almost nonexistent town on a Saturday night, nor were there likely to be the next day.

I know nothing about engines (hey, that's what God made mechanics for!) and had no idea what was wrong. Maybe I'd left the headlights on while we were walking the boardwalk? If so, driving awhile would take care of the problem -- and I couldn't think of any really great alternative plans.

So we started back on that empty deserted stretch of road. And of course the car died (fiddlesticks and other comments). So there I was, a woman alone with two young boys, with no cell phone, on a deserted stretch of two lane highway just as it was about to turn dark.

Was I worried? About the car, yes. But I wasn't worried about our physical safety -- I had my gun and I knew I could protect myself and my children if a predator came along.

Shortly after the car died, another car pulled over and the man driving it asked if we needed help. Was I worried? Nope, I was relieved. I didn't have to worry about him, because I knew I could protect myself if he turned out not to be the good Samaritan he appeared to be. Having the means to defend myself allowed me to be friendly and confident in talking to a stranger in what could have been dangerous circumstances. So I gave him the phone number for AAA and asked him to call them for me. He said, "All right, I'll do that -- and I'll come back and let you know what they said so you'll know if I got ahold of them okay." Nice guy.

Fifteen minutes later, the man returned, handed us three cold Cokes, and told me AAA was on the way. I thanked him profusely and the kids gave him their best grins.

An hour after that, I was still sitting on the side of the road, waiting for my tow truck. The boys and I had run out of things to talk about. I was bored, a little worried that AAA had forgotten us, and getting hungry and sleepy. Finally, the tow truck showed up -- a greasy driver who talked a mile a minute. Of course he was greasy, that's his job. But a woman alone on a deserted country road knows in her bones that the tow truck guy could be a rapist. Did I worry about that? Nope, not really. I had the means to take care of myself and my kids if I needed to. Because I was confident, I was able to be friendly and forthright.

Eventually, the whole situation worked itself out, as these things do. Nobody offered me the slightest violence and because I was confident in my ability to take care of it if they did, I was able to be outgoing and friendly rather than frightened or churlishly suspicious in dealing with other people in what I considered to be a risky situation.

And that is why I carry a gun all the time.
I keep my gun on my hip or within reach at home for all the same reasons I carry my gun in public.

pax

*I do now.

Never grow a wishbone, daughter, where your backbone ought to be. -- Clementine Paddelford
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