Okay, I’ll admit it. The first time my beau TD mentioned his gun hobby, I may have brought up Zombie Apocalypse: something along the lines of “Welp, you’ll be all set when the undead, brain-hungry1 shit hits the proverbial fan…” That’s probably a fairly cliched and silly response when it comes to gun ownership, but it was my first impulse.
And hey, at least I didn’t parrot “But guns! Guns are evil!” and succumb to the vapors, despite having hippie tendencies and a liberal arts degree under my belt. I’m absurd, but heavens, I’m not closed minded!
In fact, I grew up with a gun in the house, but I was never allowed to touch said gun. I remember seeing it perhaps twice, when my dad took it out of its mysterious hiding place to show company. Male company. It made my mother nervous, but my father worked with some iffy characters as a pastor and volunteer prison chaplin, so when a friend offered him a free pistol it probably seemed like a good idea to accept it.
I was always a fan of the Second Amendment in theory, and I supported other people’s right to own, shoot, and carry firearms, but my personal interest could be called casual at best. Shooting seemed like a skill I would be poorly suited to, requiring hand-eye coordination, steadiness, and patience. I also knew enough to know that guns are an expensive hobby. If I was going to spend all my money on a sport, it had to either get me ripped or put me on top of a horse. Preferably both.
This scant experience and a nerdy streak counties-wide brings one quite naturally to zombie jokes.
I had a mild interest in learning to shoot, though, especially when TD offered to take me to the range. I’m always willing to try, and suck at, something new.
He decided Breda would be the best person to teach me. I think he wanted someone else to blame if I did, in fact, suck. He tends to think ahead like that.
A little over a year ago we made the trip to Ohio and she schooled me proper, with some help from her husband Mike. I shot a .22 or two, then moved on to the bigger guys. I tasted recoil, and it was delicious. I even hit the actual target a couple times!
It was fun, but I don’t think that’s when it clicked for me. It was overwhelming, honestly: so much new information, so much to take in. It’s exactly what I needed as a beginner, but it didn’t feel like the beginning of a torrid love affair with shooting (although I was pining in short order for a little more of that recoil). It felt more like that moment where you first put your finger on the tip of the enormous iceberg of everything you don’t know about something. But in hindsight, it was the beginning.
And now. Now I think I’m in trouble. I think I’m hooked.
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- Note that zombies in comparatively serious Sci Fi/Horror do not specifically go for the brain. Otherwise you’d have a self-limiting epidemic, since destroying victims’ brains right away would control the spread. Something to keep in mind. ↩
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It is so easy to get hooked on. Welcome to the rabbit hole.
And you are now on the blogroll. Hope to move you to bloggers I’ve met someday.
Yay! Thank you! Me too. :)
Welcome to the fold, Carrie! When I bought my first gun, I didn’t think that I would get ‘into’ shooting so much. I bought it for sentimental reasons. But, like a delicious, infectious disease it took over. We three simply couldn’t get enough of it, and it has spread to many of our friends and family as well at this point. It’s a lot of fun, and a great bonding experience if you do it right. I agree with my lovely wife, Jennifer. You are similarly on my blogroll as well.
Thanks! Shooting is turning out to be deceptively addictive, and I’m strangely comfortable with that.
Hee. They’ll be so proud!
Now I think I’m in trouble. I think I’m hooked.
It’s a drug, an evil, evil drug. Congrats on the new blog!
Should I be afraid? Very, very afraid?
Yes, very. Has TD whipped out his big guns for you yet?
*looking around* I LOVE what you’ve done with the place….
Welcome to the dork side, dear. I’ll have to pop you into the bloggers I’ve met roll, since I seem to have neglected both yourself and TD in that regard…. That is, when I get around to doing it.
Also, guns are fun, guns are great, guns can even put food on your plate! (shamelessly stolen from my seven year old nephew, because he’s just that awesome.)
Yay! Now I feel all fancy and stuff.
That is an adorable quote. If we ever start a gunblogging cheerleading squad, we’ll have to ask your nephew if we can borrow that.
Welcome!
I added a welcome post to my blog for you: http://violentindifference.blogspot.com/2011/01/lyger-lyger-pants-on-fire.html and you are in my blog roll.
Thank you! I notice you have two awesome blogmommies.
Are they awesome blogmommies? Or are they blogmommies covered in awesomesauce?!?
We may never know!!1!
Or, we could just look and then we’d know.
Either way…
Congratulations on joining the blogosphere, and also for discovering the joys of shooting.
Thanks! I’m having fun. :)
“I tasted recoil, and it was delicious.”
Now, that’s a quote for the ages right there.
Well it is! :)
Welcome! You’ve been assimilated.
Isn’t recoil fun! Remember, when TD complains that he never gets to shoot any of the guns because you have them…. it’s all his fault.
Oh, and that note about self-limiting zombies……you’re the only one I’ve seen, besides me, that has noted that.
People should pay more attention to zombie logistics.
And TD has a lot of guns. He’ll be fine. He might, however, have to scramble for brass.
Welcome to the blogosphere!
Now, just for the record, it’s customary for the new blogger to send one of the others a crate of ammo. It just so happens that my name came up this time. I like .45 Auto. :)
Seriously, though, hi.
Thanks, Sarah! I am also interested in buying a bridge. Do you happen to have one for sale? :P
I just want to know where to get a free pistol like your dad.
A friend of Breda’s is a friend of mine.
I just hope your ready for the antis to constantly tell you that you have a tiny penis.
Welcome and congrats on getting your blog off the ground. Way down south here we like to taste our recoil with lots of butter and salt, but I guess plain is OK too.
Look forward to reading your blog!
Tom