Safety Circle

Do you let people into your safety circle without noticing them?  Your safety circle really comes into play in parking lots or other public areas.  Think of a 21 foot circle around you.  The average person can close that distance in 2-3 seconds.  That doesn’t give you much time to recognize a threat and respond. 

This doesn’t mean you don’t let anyone into your safety circle, it simply means if someone enters that 21 foot zone, you need to be aware.  Most people will be passing through on their way to complete their own business.  You can recognize and catalog them mentally as no threat.  Then…there may be one that just makes you feel “off”.  That is your instinct.  Trust it!  Watch the person, tell them to stay back, be prepared to respond.

 

 

Stay Safe

Act Like a Lady

Most on-line dictionaries I consulted had similar definitions for Lady, something like; “A well-mannered and considerate woman with high standards of proper behavior.”  This coincided with lady-like, as in behavior.  I would like to be so bold as to redefine “Lady”.  I can generally agree with the definition, but I think “proper behavior” needs a little further explanation. 

Proper behavior does not include:
-Being a doormat
-Being subservient
-Going along with something that makes you uncomfortable or uneasy
-Meekly accepting an attack or aggression

Proper behavior does include:
-Understanding that you are a valuable person
-Defending your right to your person, property and space
-Responding appropriately to acts of aggression from the known and unknown (appropriately being a proportional response)
-Not being afraid to offend someone who approaches you out of context by telling them to leave you alone
-Trusting your natural instincts and intuition, if it feels wrong, it probably is

It doesn’t matter if you wear high-heels or boots, dresses or jeans, you can be a lady.  Be considerate, be thoughtful but remember to trust your instincts.

 

Be safe.

Friends Don’t Leave Friends

A very good friend recently shared a story with me of something that happened to her a few years ago.  She was in her mid 30’s at the time and was out for an evening with several girl friends.  As some point she began acting severely intoxicated, and from that point needed to rely mostly on the accounts of others.  She was said to be acting very “friendly with a man she didn’t know”, but also appeared to be very drunk, to the point of throwing up. 

Her now ex-friends thought she was having a good time and left her with the stranger despite her obvious impairment, that fact that she had consumed very little alcohol and that this behavior was completely out of character.  They later said they thought she was having a good time and was “in to him”. 

For my friend, it turned out ok.  The man, while a bit of a jerk, was not a total tool.  He drove her home and accepted her resistance like a “gentleman” and left.  She suspected another man of being the one who “dosed” her, and the two men were acquainted, which could account for him being responsible enough to see her home and not force unwanted attentions.  It could have been much worse. 

This can happen to anyone!  Yes, she is quite attractive, but she was not a 21 year old sorority girl out with her “sisters”, she was, and is, a responsible adult woman who was out with other women she trusted. 

Rules:

Never leave your drink unattended, or if you do, and it wasn’t watched, don’t finish it

Never accept a drink from the hands of someone other than the server or bartender

You leave with who you came with, never leave your friend behind, especially if she seems to be impaired

What does this have to do with guns?  Nothing.  But it is important to be reminded that danger comes in many forms, you need to be aware and we need to watch out for each other.

Parking Lots

They are dangerous places.  Think for a minute about how you respond in a parking lot, such as at the grocery store.  Do you, as one young woman did recently, walk while focused so intently on texting that you walk into a car?  (yep, walked into me, actually)  Do you do the famous no-look step off the curb into a traffic lane?  Or, even drive down a lane assuming that the car backing up can see you and will stop?  Tip, if you can’t see the driver, they can’t see you!

 

How about getting packages and kids settled into the car?  Are you completely focused on your task or maintaining your situational awareness?  Do you realize that your windows act almost like mirrors and can help you to see what is behind you?  Do you have all the car doors, except the one you are accessing, locked?  Is the shopping cart between you and anyone approaching or off to the side where is can’t function as a barrier?

 

We become complacent in parking lots because we go to the same stores all the time.  Familiarity leads to a sense that you can relax, let your guard down.  Wrong!  Always keep alert!  Decide what your zone of comfort is and don’t let anyone inside that zone without challenging them.

 

 

 

Stay Alert and Stay Safe!

Toe…The Saga Continues

As many of you know, I broke my second toe Jan 1.  When I write I broke it I mean the first bone was fractured, the second in at least 4 pieces and the third crushed (still looks kind of like a mushroom on the X-rays).  If you don’t remember (and that is ok) I dropped a rifle on my foot, my bare foot, while uncasing it to put it in the safe. 

First lesson…wear shoes!

I saw my Doctor yesterday for the third round of X-rays.  Much to our mutual amazement, and my lucky stars, it is healing.  There is barely a scar from the big gash.  The swelling if finally coming down, although it is still a little flat and about 60% wider than before.  The tip shows good bone re-growth, the middle looks like one piece now and the third, well, will probably always look like a mushroom but all the little fragments seem to be growing new bone to hold them together.  So, no surgery, YEA!  And, I have permission to start wearing something other than my Uggs, 5.11 Tactical Boots or the Orthopedic flats I’ve been wearing for the last couple months.  High heels are probably still a way off, but I’m in regular flats today.  Hey, I’m a shoe girl, this is Huge for me!  I have an entire photo album dedicated to shoes on my personal FB page.  The 4 inch heels aren’t coming back anytime soon, but I’ll take what I can get for now. 

Second lesson…follow my Doctors advice.  I did; elevation, buddy taping the toe, ugly shoes.  It paid off, no surgery, no pin, no bone grafting.  I am extremely lucky, and more careful because it never even occurred to this mid-westerner who was used to going everywhere in bare feet that shoes were protective on the top as well as the bottom.

Safe Shooting…watch this site for a future photo of high heels!  J

something to look forward to!

 

 

 

First Women's Only Class

I assisted with Innovative Defensive Solutions, LLC's first Women's Only Class last weekend.  It was an Introduction to Defensive Handgun course and we had a great time!  The lead instructor was a man, but he was great.  I'm certified for this one, but hadn't taught it before.

The ladies seemed to have fun, it was different, but in a good way, I really enjoyed it.

I'm attaching a few photos to give you an idea.  They worked hard.  Once had never shot before, one had been to training with us before, and the other had shot once.  It was fun to watch the skills and confidence develop!

Ben giving a closer look

 



Actually, the sweatshirt is kind of bulky :-)

Rare Personal Stuff

With Taking Your First Shot at the printer there is nothing left to do but wait.  I'm so excited, I can hardly wait to see and hold it, it is like waiting for a new baby!  I've had some amazing support along the way, family, friends, you...offering suggestions, support and a test bed for information!  I also got an amazing response to requests for reviews, and when it comes out you will be able to see them, but special thanks to Kathy Jackson (Cornered Cat) for an amazing Foreword.  Thank you for the reviews to AGirl, Gun Divas, Julie Golob, Mike Thiemer, Becky Lou LaCock, Rob Pincus and Evan Carson.

Now that the book is done, I had to have something to occupy my time.  Yep, you guessed it.  Book 2 is in the works.  I signed the contract this week.  It is about home and personal security and will cover a lot of tips to stay safe.  I'm on Chapter 4 and it is really going well.

Also, National Take Your Daughter to the Range Day is gearing up, we are starting to get interest from ranges and have even gotten a few small donations to help cover administrative costs!  We need MORE RANGES and MORE DONTATIONS!  Last year was funded mostly in $5 increments (and a lot of self funding that I can't afford this year) but really, a few dollars can get stretched pretty far! 

Be Safe. Be Well and Thank You for your support!

Practicing in an Ammo Shortage

Ammunition prices are soaring, demand is high and so are prices, supplies are very scarce.  Basic economic law.  But how do you practice when you can afford, or find, ammunition? 

I’m not a fan of dry fire, especially with a semi-automatic because you have to wrack the slide to reset the trigger.  But, you can practice drawing and coming on to the target and, just like when we were kids, say “Bang”.  You can also buy a training pistol, I like the Sight Indicating Resetting Trigger (SIRT), which is a laser training pistol and is available across the web in several configurations.  This lets you draw and fire, seeing where the laser hits so you know if you are on your target.  If also makes it easier to practice shooting from less than ideal positions, such as just cleared the holster, on your back between your knees…  Ok, they are also great fun if you have cats.

Seriously, you may be cutting back on your range time, but that is no reason not to practice.  Might not be as much fun as going to the range and going through 300 rounds in a hour, but…until this all sorts itself out and the supply normalizes…you still need to keep your skills sharp.

Safe Shooting!