When should I carry?

I had an interesting discussion with my husband as we were getting ready to go to his parent’s home for Christmas dinner. He noticed my holster and asked if I was carrying a gun to Christmas dinner? (Understand that he is not a gun-toting guy, but is incredibly supportive of my choice to do so.) I had to think about how to answer, my first response was “of course, why not?” Then I realized he felt we were just going to his parent’s home, why did I need it? Well, for the same reason I carry to the grocery store, or to the park or to a restaurant…because you never know. Once I finished dressing, I let him confirm that it was well concealed, and they wouldn’t know. I even offered to leave it in the little safe in the car once we got there. Bottom line, I didn’t think we would need it at his parents’ home. However, we had a 45-minute drive each way, would be coming home after dark. What is something happened on the road? What if we decided to stop somewhere along the way? The question probably shouldn’t be when should I but when shouldn’t I carry? My response is only when I’m going someplace it is illegal for me to carry. There aren’t a lot of those in Virginia. If I was going somewhere I thought I might “need” a gun, why would I go there? I would probably pick a different place to go. My goal is not to shoot someone but to be able to defend myself and my family if necessary. The key word in concealed carry is CONCEALED. If someone can see it, it isn’t concealed. We don’t need to advertise or make ourselves a target. We do have the right to defend ourselves. I have often said I will not start a confrontation, and I will walk away if I can. But if I’m given only two choices; fight, or suffer serious injury or death, I will fight. At that point, the aggressor has made the decision that one of us is going to get hurt. I have made the decision to defend myself. There is a very important concept there. I haven’t decided to go out and hurt someone. Carrying a concealed firearm doesn’t make me aggressive. If anything, it makes me more anxious to avoid a bad situation. Having a gun also doesn’t make me complacent, just the opposite. I’m more alert to my surroundings, more aware of who is near, who could be a threat, where someone might be hiding… Be alert, be safe and don’t let them see you print.