From There to Here

As an instructor I frequently get asked how I got started shooting.  I grew up in a house with
guns, rifles and pistols, although I didn’t get to shoot them.  Not sure my Dad did either but he
had them, all the kids knew where they were (on the shelf in the den closet) and not to touch
them, which we didn’t.  I didn’t have strong feelings one way or the other. 

At the age of 17 I enlisted in the Air Force.  This was a long time ago, and women didn’t shoot in
Basic Training then, instead we had a “grooming” class.  Yes, go ahead and snort, but it was the
70’s.  I didn’t actually shoot until 1983 as I was about to go to South Korea.  I did a couple hours
of training on an M-16, went to the range, shot .22lr via an adapter, which didn’t work
particularly well, and that was it.  It would be years before I would shoot again. 
In the mid-90’s (years, not age) I was dating a man who had a real issue with truth.  As I began
to realize this, I knew I needed to break it off.  I did, and the response was pretty intense.  He
left a long message on my answering machine that included a lot of profanity and ended with “I
hope you’ve enjoyed your life.”  Well, I took that as a threat.  Contacted the police, played the
tape and filed a complaint.  He was called and asked to turn himself in so he could be
processed and released.  Yep, they took it real serious.  Me, I bought my first gun, a Ruger P-95
9mm.  I didn’t have a clue, but got lucky in that the man behind the counter did and gave me
excellent advice.  Not always the case, btw.  I had to wait 3 days to pick it up, that was the law
at the time, and then immediately took it to the range and shot a few hundred rounds.  Not me
recommendation for anyone!  Now I know, read the manual, clean it, and if you don’t
already know how to shoot, your first trip should be with an instructor.   But I was scared,
and determined, and I made some pretty big holes in the targets, and in my thumb (metal
magazines, no speed loader).  I took a quick NRA course and applied for a Concealed Carry
Permit.  Thanks to the pending charges and a supportive judge, I got it in record time and began
to carry. 

Over the years, I gradually stopped carrying, but kept my permit current, just in case.  (Also not
smart but I still had a lot to learn).  Things started to get interesting in the community, more
violence.  I still went to the range occasionally because it was fun, but something told me I could
do better.  I went instructor shopping.  I talked to a couple and then found the right one for me. 
When you find him or her, you will know.  We hit it off, and went to the range to “assess my
skills”.  Well, he turned out to be a training counselor and talked me into taking an instructor
course.  I worked for him (he has a robust training company and is an outstanding trainer) for a
couple years until it was time to move on and go independent. 

I found a passion for teaching, a joy in helping someone learn new, or enhance existing, skills. 
There is nothing like it.  I don’t teach as much now, maybe going independent wasn’t the
smartest move.  But I also spend a lot of time writing. 

So, in a nutshell, that is my journey, how I got here.  If not for a threat of domestic violence, I
might not have come to this point.  What happened with that?  He made a deal, plead guilty to
making an obscene phone call, and got community service and a stern warning to stay away
from me.