In pursuit of a Permit to Carry

When I tell people that I’m in the process of getting my permit to carry a firearm, their responses can generally be categorized into three different groups.  There are those who are fairly supportive of the idea.  They usually give me a response like “Nice!  Sounds like a great idea.”  Next on the list are the people who fully disapprove, or at the very least are nervous about guns and the people carrying them around.  From these folks, the standard response is “Why would you ever want to carry a gun around?  Isn’t that dangerous?  Isn’t it kind of immature?”  The third set of people is the group that simply responds with the blank stare.  What I’m writing here is mostly for the blank stare crowd.  You know who you are.

I bought my first sidearm earlier this year.  It’s a Taurus Tracker .357 magnum revolver.  The firearm is a stainless steel model with a 4” ported barrel.  The cylinder holds seven wonderful rounds.  I’d been researching firearms in my modest price range for a couple of months because I wanted to have one around the house for home protection.  I also wanted a weapon to carry someday.  When I went to pick up the gun, I took it downstairs to the range and fired 50 rounds through it.  It had been years since I fired a real handgun; but the stance, the grip, the excitement, and the sudden weight of responsibility came rushing back to me the first time I loaded it and pointed it downrange.  There’s a very acute sense of awareness that I have when I hold a loaded weapon.  Everything comes into focus, and I become very cognizant of the world around me.  There's one thought that goes through my head over and over and over again.  “Be safe.” 

Over the next couple of months, I took some pride in my new firearm.  I took my wife to the range, so she could learn how to use it.  It was clear to me that she was nervous about the weapon, because she was very reluctant to let me purchase it in the first place.  Because I had purchased my gun from Bill’s Gun Shop and Range, they gave me a coupon for free range time, and a free gun rental at their range.  I decided that my wife and I should try a Kimber 1911 9mm.  We put on our hearing protection and entered the range.  It wasn’t very crowded, which was nice.  Crowded ranges aren’t the most calming place in the world.  We hung our targets and I showed my wife how to load and use the weapon.  She pounded out several rounds (and I think she may have actually enjoyed it… just a little bit).  Looking back at that range session, my greatest joy was not the fact that I was shooting my new gun, but that I had the opportunity to show someone else how to properly handle and operate a firearm.  When I really sit and think about it, that’s quite a responsibility, and I’ve taught myself to take it quite seriously. 

Not a long while later, I came across an unbeatable deal on a Ruger SR9c.  Since I had rented the Kimber 1911, I really desired a semi-automatic handgun.  Around the same time, I had gotten quite serious about taking a class in preparation for my permit to carry.  After a little bit of research, I decided to take a class from a local instructor who taught his course at the Oakdale Gun Club.  I won’t put his name here, but trust me, he’s a wonderful instructor.  If you’d like his name, I’d be happy to give it to you.  During the class we discussed many different firearm related issues.  We talked about safety, legal ramifications, state statutes, holsters, ammunition, the mechanics of firearms… the list goes on and on.  We also had some range time, during which I fired my new Ruger for the first time.  It performed flawlessly, and after 15 short demonstration rounds, the instructor passed me with flying colors.  I was allowed to continue shooting at my targets without direction supervision from him.  I put another 85 rounds through my Ruger that day.  It may have been the most fun I had all summer. 

Now, I must tell you that I have not actually filed for my permit to carry yet.  I’ve literally been too busy to get to the County Sheriff’s office during business hours.  However, I do intend to get there soon, and when I do finally file for and receive my permit, you can bet that I will carry my firearm from time to time. 

Buckle up… here’s where the deeper thoughts start to emerge.

Life is about choices.  In fact, I think life is more about choices than it is about anything else.  Everything you do is a choice.  Carrying a gun in a holster on my hip is a choice.  It’s my choice.  I’ve told myself, and learned from others, that if I make a choice to carry a firearm, then I must make choices that should never put me in a position where I would actually have to draw (and heaven forbid) actually fire my weapon.

Since you’re reading this, you should probably know that I live a pretty quiet life.  I don’t go into the cities to party very often.  In fact, (and my wife will confirm this) I make it a general point to avoid metropolitan areas, period.  I tend to stay in at night, and I don’t like large crowds.  You should also know that I’m not a violent person.  I’ve never been in a fist fight, and I’ve never intentionally caused physical pain to another human being.  I think the most violent thing I’ve ever done occurred in the 7^th grade where I pushed a ‘bully’ into the lockers after I got tired of him sneaking up behind me and flicking my ear.  I’m not writing this because I think you care very much about my ears getting flicked, rather, I want you to understand that I’m certainly not interested in carrying a firearm because I actually want to shoot at someone.  Heavens, no!  If I was in a precarious situation, I would certainly retreat or hide before I had to make the ultimate decision to use a firearm to put down a threat.  My desire to carry a firearm boils down to one jaw-clenching, stomach-churning thought:  someday, somewhere, my family might be in danger, and if there’s a one-million to one chance that I can save my family from harm by carrying a weapon, I’ll do it.

It’s truly my hope that more responsible, law abiding citizens will educate themselves on the proper use of firearms every day.  A community where the ‘good guys’ are armed is a community a ‘bad guy’ is going to think twice (or several times) about before he tries to pull off a ‘bad guy’ stunt.  In other words, the chances that I will actually have to draw and fire my weapon are reduced greatly as the number of people in my community who own and carry weapons for personal protection increases.  Heck, I hope that all of the people in this country who are upstanding and righteous citizens own and carry firearms.  Someone once told me that people in Texas are so nice because in Texas, everybody carries a gun.  Most people carry two.  Let’s emulate that around the USA, shall we?

For those of you who are reading, thank you for taking a look.  I’m not looking to get into a philosophical debate about firearms and the second amendment.  I’m simply putting my thoughts out there.  If you don’t agree with me, I’m not going to force you to own or carry a weapon.  That’s your choice.  (If you’ve forgotten my view on choices, you can re-read my earlier paragraph about choice, conveniently located earlier in this blog post for your reading pleasure…)  However, if you agree that learning how to responsibly own and operate firearms is the safest things you can do, spread the knowledge, and thank you for helping make the world a better place.

Old Grumpy Jason

Sometimes I like to pretend to be grumpy.  I like to pretend to look down at the world over the top of my glasses, put a little scowl on my face, and "hurumph" quietly under my breath.  This really isn't my full time attitude, but I certainly enjoy it.

I often tell my wife that I can't wait to be the grumpy old guy who sits in his front yard and looks unpleasant.  While sitting and frowning at the world, I would probably sit in an old faded lawn chair and wear a wispy straw hat, a comfortable solid colored cotton t-shirt, loose fitting blue jeans, and some old man loafers covering my favorite pair of white socks.  Even if I didn't need it, I'd like to carry a cane or a walking stick.  It's possible that I would use it for pointing at things that annoy me.  For my face, I'll still sport a pair of glasses, probably bi-focals or tri-focals at that point.  I'd better be able to see... Lord knows I won't be able to hear. 

This lifestyle appeals to me.  It seems quiet, calm, and introspective; a lifestyle where I can get up in the morning, grumble at the paper over a cup of coffee, and have some toast and a bran muffin.  During the day, I can slowly shuffle around the house, straighten out the end table I bumped yesterday on my way by, and sit down in my easy chair for a brief three hour nap.  That would take care of the morning.  Next up, a light lunch, and maybe a quick drive to the hardware store in my old pickup truck.  After I get home, I'd have to sit in the front yard for awhile, doze in the shade, and then watch people walk by on the sidewalk.  At some point, I'd do six or seven minutes worth of good hard work, like pickup of a stray twig and throwing it the garbage.  Next I'd yawn, stretch, and call it an afternoon.  Dinner and thereafter would be a wild-card.  Cards?  Book?  Nap?  Who knows!

Perfect Day?  I hope so.  I'm looking forward to it.

  

Stupid Game

For years I've watched members of my family play the game of 500.  For those of you who don't know what 500 is, it's a game that uses most of a deck of cards, has four players, and you bid on taking tricks of cards.  It doesn't look like much when you're watching... in fact, it looks downright boring. 

Finally, I decided to try to learn the game.  After having the rules explained to me and playing a couple of practice matches, I still had very little idea what I was doing, and why.  Still, I was beginning to find an interest in the game. 

Now I play with my family whenever I get a chance.  I find it to be an engaging activity.  I'm still not much of a player, and I frequently require advice from the other players at the table, but it's fun. 

Today I had a great time playing cards with my dad, grandpa, and uncle.  Grandpa was my partner, across the table from me, and we won three out of four matches.  That short description doesn't do the afternoon justice, but it's a time I hope I won't soon forget. 

Thanks guys.  Let's play again sometime soon.

The Big Change

The last few of months of my life have been very interesting. 

For most of the summer, I was constantly running around a neighborhood inspecting a street reconstruction project.  I was constantly bartering with contractors, climbing into storm sewer structures, and helping angry residents get... well... less angry (usually). 

A little over a month ago, my supervisor's supervisor called me on my cell phone around 8 o'clock in the morning.  He asked to meet me at 3 o'clock that afternoon to go over some "IT stuff". 

At 5 minutes to three, I walked into a conference room and sat down with my supervisor's supervisor, my supervisor's supervisor's supervisor, and my union representative. Now, you can clearly imagine what was going through my head... "I'm screwed."  However, there was a wild-card... the IT Director. 

It was explained to me that due to budget change, my position in the engineering department was going to be eliminated.  However, I was offered a position in the IT Department as an IT Technician.  To say the least, I was a little surprised at the sudden turn of events.  I hadn't considered a career in IT for a very long time, and never seriously.  I sat down with the IT Director the following day and had a long discussion regarding his expectations of me in my new role.  Following this discussion, I formally accepted the transfer, and waited to hear when the big change was going to take place.  The people at the top of the totem pole, who decide such things, settled on the 7th of November. 

Over the next few weeks, I spent my days at work wrapping up my duties as a street reconstruction inspector, and began to self educate about computers. 

Let's back up a little bit. 

I've always been pretty good with computers, at least no worse than you average computer user.  I grew up with Windows 98, had Windows XP in high-school and college, and used an Apple every once in awhile.  One time, in the fifth grade, one of the teachers couldn't get her printer to work, and she asked me to help her.  I don't remember if I got it to work or not... but it was pretty cool that she asked.  I also set up a wireless network one time.  So, besides using a computer for work every day, that's about the extent of my computer experience.

Naturally, I was a bit nervous about taking on a new responsibilities without having any formal training in the field.  So, I stopped by the library and picked up as many books as I could find that seemed relevant to the work I was going to be doing.  Quite honestly, I was really hoping to find a Windows 7 for Dummies book, but it wasn't there.  Shucks.  I did find a few good books and did my best to learn some of the lingo that those cool IT people use. 

Finally, the big day arrived.  Since then life has been a blur.  I've had some really great days working in IT already... I can hardly describe all of the things that I've done and learned already.  We're in the process of rolling out a new phone system, so I've been very busy adding phones and components to a database, assembling phones, and installing phones at workstations through-out the organization.  It hasn't been all phones... I've learned a little bit about networking, power supplies, Windows operating systems, VPNs, and a whole bunch of other things.  I'm hoping to pick up a few new things every day, eventually obtain some formal training and perhaps get some certifications in this field.

It seems as though things are working out.  This is a chance that I never knew I wanted to have.