It is my story.
It's a story of individual choice, a woman's right to think for herself and then change her mind.
After many years of marching through life with my own personal anti-gun mindset, I seem to have done an about-face in recent years. And not just in theory...
This past Monday morning I went for my first shooting lesson. Boom! Literally and figuratively. Big stuff. Maybe not for you, but definitely for me...
I have always sworn against guns and gun ownership...Never wanted anything to do with them...didn't want them near me. Didn't want them in my house. Guns were for police officers, the FBI and the military, not for me.
And yet, there I was with a Glock 9 mm in my hand, my expert instructor, Mike Weinstein, teaching me how to pick it up correctly...making me practice it over and over until I got it right. Mike had been an Israeli cop and served time doing Special Ops in Bosnia. He showed me how to wrap my left hand around the weapon so it would never wobble as I aimed it at the paper target. We had about an hour long lesson on how to handle a gun properly before we went into the shooting range.
Inside, there was a young man with an AK 47 a couple of stalls (lanes? aisles? rows?) down from us. I cowered in the corner with my arms covering my head. This was mind-blowing. I don't mind telling you I was scared to death. My emotions jumped around inside of me. Anticipation, agitation, apprehension, anxiety. This place was not for wimps. And I, friends, felt like one big wimp in that moment. 'Why the heck did you think this was a good idea?' I thought to myself.
Clearly, my greatest victory on Monday was not how well I shot that Glock, but the way I overcame my emotions in that moment. Because I wanted to run. I wanted to run really badly!
Instead, Mike called me over out of the corner. He was pretty serious looking. I wondered what he thought..."I've put one bullet in the chamber for now," he informed me. I shifted my focus to what he was telling me. He reminded me of the proper way to pick up and handle the gun, told me how to sight the target, how to stand and then pull the trigger whenever I was ready. I positioned myself. It took me an eternity to go through the checklist in my head. When I squeezed the trigger, I had no clue when the bullet would leave that chamber, but at some point, it did. I hit Mr. Target in the right shoulder. Miss!
But that was my last miss all day...
Following that first shot, my aim improved dramatically. Nearly every shot was "right in there," according to Mike. He was referring to the 'X" at gut level. When we finished, he said I was the best first-timer he had ever seen. Wow...No kidding..!?
I figure if you're going to attempt something new, you might as well excel. Once I decided my world is too dangerous not to know how handle a gun and shoot it, I gave it my all. And I'll continue to do so. I'll be practicing every Tuesday, on Ladies Day, when the range time is free to women. I'll see Mike again to take more lessons until I'm proficient with my firearm. In my weakened physical state, I can't afford to be anything but an outstanding markswoman, who is at ease with every part of gun ownership.
I'm not advocating guns for all or even most. I'm simply sharing my flip from anti-gun to pro-self-defense. I think each of us has the right to defend herself if needed. None of us has to be victimized because we are defenseless. I don't ever want to be surprised by a stranger again. Guess what? If I am, I want to be well-prepared. I have that right as an American citizen. xx
