#71

SHOOT A GUN

I remember the day my dad came home from the police academy with his gun. I was in the 8th grade. He took all the bullets out of the gun. Let my brother and I hold it and squeeze the trigger. Of course, nothing happened. He told us to let him know whenever we wanted to look at the gun because he would let us. That was the only time I ever went near it.

The next time I ever held a gun I was about 18 years old. My friend, Beth, was going with her dad (who was a police officer) to the range and she asked if I wanted to come along. If I remember correctly, I shot a .22 Luger and a 9mm. I don't remember how far the target was but I do know that I did a pretty bang up job (pun intended). ;)

When I was a kid, I wanted to be in the FBI. Then, I found out I had to carry a gun. umm... nope! This is a fear that has built up over the years. It took a bit before I had the courage to take the first shot when J took me to the range. I didn't flinch (or even kill anybody) but I was done! I was sweating profusely. There was more fear in me than when I went on the motorcycle ride.

I tried another shot a few minutes later and felt the same way. One of the wonderful things about J is his ability to give me just enough space but still push me gently enough to a point where I am willing to try things again. He asked if I wanted to try to shoot an entire magazine. Unwilling to cross this off my list after just shooting a gun twice, I took him up on it. I took my time on each shot. Aimed in the head and chest and unloaded the entire magazine. The 0.40 cal still sent a little jolt with every discharge but I felt much more comfortable and the fear slowly subsided. We even played a few 'games' to see who could shoot in a more closely knit grouping or closest to one of the numbers on the target. The only thing to worry about after was the soreness in my right shoulder. There's no guarantee that I'll try everything I'm afraid of (although doing this list is making me more open to it). One thing I do know is that beating J one time in a 'game' we played definitely makes me want to go back to the range and do it again. ;)
.....
It dawned on me that it hasn't been a fear of guns that I have had my entire life. It was the fear of something I didn't understand or have enough knowledge about. Look at the course of history (in the world or your own life). What were you so afraid of? Could you pick out something that you feared simply because you lacked knowledge of it? Or did you just rely on someone else's information without doing your own research? They say ignorance is bliss. This is so far from the truth! In our ignorance, we are scammed and cheated. In our ignorance, we allow people with too much power to become corrupt because their accountability (us) is blissfully at peace with their lives. In our ignorance, we become slaves without even knowing it.They might say that Ignorance is bliss. but Knowledge is Power.

TASK #71 .. COMPLETED 8/1