If Only…

If Only, two small words, 6 letters, but you put them together and they carry so much weight.  If only, words I hope I never have to use again. 

If only I had trusted my intuition…

If only I had not left my gun at home…

If only I had paid attention to my surroundings…

Powerful words, powerful sentiment…

Carrying a gun is a tremendous responsibility.  You hold yourself to a higher standard than the average citizen.  You are prepared and ready to defend your life, and those of others if called to, but it will be because someone else made the decision for you.  To carry a gun, you are choosing to respond, but also choosing not to initiate.  You are accepting an awesome responsibility, and risks.  You must be aware of your surroundings.  You must be able to read what is happening and make a judgment in seconds, or less.  Then, you must be able to articulate why you made the judgment you did.  What clues did you see, what things did you sense, what actions tipped you off that there was trouble? 

Using your gun to defend yourself will likely change your life.  There may be legal consequences.  There may be social consequences.  You may suffer emotionally.  Some family and friends will see you as a hero, some may see you as an abomination. 

Remember, you are important, your life is important, you have the right to defend yourself.  You do not choose to initiate a confrontation but you choose to fight when someone else make the choice to start. 

If only…words I hope you never have to use.

Safe Shooting!