Lessons from my CHL

[TNVolunteer]

I am a “gun person”.  Always have been.  Some of my fondest childhood memories are of us kids plinking empty coke cans with a Daisy BB gun during summer break.  My family owned firearms and I was very well exposed to them growing up.  If one had to categorize society based on those likely to get a CHL, I would certainly fall into that segment of the population with a propensity to do so.  What has surprised me though are some of things I have learned about myself by getting a CHL.

First, getting my CHL was not natural to me despite being a self proclaimed “gun person”.  I thought “I’m a decent sized guy, in decent shape, relatively young, and not an idiot when it comes to street smarts” so I never felt the need to carry.  Lesson 1 - I can be naïve.  I never really felt threatened and I equated carrying a gun to there being an eminent threat needing to be addressed with a firearm.  I guess I didn’t feel it was necessary.

Well, my prepping journey started several years ago and it has been like a second adolescence.  Every time I turn around I’m having some sort of damned epiphany. The one regarding getting a CHL and carrying was like a lightening strike from a cloudless sky. Lesson 2 - I realized I was a hypocrite.  You see, I claimed to be a supporter of the 2nd amendment and the right to defend one’s self.  How was I supporting or exercising that right?  I wasn’t.  How can you support the exercise of a right if you fail exercise it yourself?  You can’t.  That’s where I was. 

I’ve had my CHL for about 2 years now and its been important in truly learning from the lessons mentioned above.  I take greater responsibility for protecting myself and loved ones from the wolves of the world.  As part of this I’ve invested time and money in training courses.  Some things I’ve learned have changed my perspective but I no longer have my head in the sand when on the street.  I’m not as naïve as I was.

Even more important I’ve stood up and allowed myself to be counted, publicly. Beyond protecting you and yours, going through the CHL process and then actually carrying is much akin to saying “here I am and I will exercise my rights”.  I am living in concert with what I believe.

[ZenGunFighter]

Welcome, Citizen! 

I too grew up with guns. Shot my first pellet pistol at 3. .22 at 5. Guns always around. got my own .22 at 13.
lived in a town of 2500. No need for a gun for self defense.
In NY state. if you want a pistol, you have to get a CCW. I wanted a pistol. Didn't really want a carry permit...
But heck, if you're going to give me one....

So I started carrying. It was weird. Strange. Walking around in public with a gun hidden on my person. I was very aware of it.
Sometimes I'd carry it, sometimes I wouldn't.
Then one day, I had an epipahny. How would I know what day to carry it on?
I wouldn't.

So I started carrying every day. That was in 1987.  I've practice, sought training, practiced some more, and got more instuction. Just got back from 2 classes a couple of weeks ago. 

I've had to use it once to put down a deer hit by a truck. And I've had to draw it twice. Luckily that was as far as it went.
If I hadn't been able to do so, the outcome would have been different.

When I leave the house in the morning, I tell myself; "over, around, through, what ever is in my way, I'm coming home tonight"
If I don't, my wife will kill me

And tension is ratching up, if y'all haven't noticed. Never sure when something will be the spark in the powder keg.
Remember Reginald Denning?

Did you just see/hear the video from the 'American Taliban' Adam Gadahm? Telling muslims in the U.S. to buy guns and shoot Americans?...

[Mastoo]

I stoped listening to the guntalk podcast due to commercials, but there were two big things I got out of it.  First was Gresham talking about people who think about whether they should carry, deciding each day whether they wanted to bother.  He kept saying that is the wrong attitude and it should be automatic, like a second wallet - you don't leave without it.  I got used to carrying two wallets.

[Outdoorfury]

Did you just see/hear the video from the 'American Taliban' Adam Gadahm? Telling muslims in the U.S. to buy guns and shoot Americans?...

Heard about this and it scares the sh****t out of me. True terror is not knowing what is going to happen or when. This local small scale stuff would be awful.

I recently have encouraged my wife to get her HGP. It should be in the mail soon and we will be on the hunt for a good jammy for her.  She needs more training than the bogus 8 hours of classes though that TN requires.

[Frank S.]

Ready or not, here it comes.

[ZenGunFighter]

Ready or not, here it comes.

Right now,
Somewhere,
Your enemy is training to defeat you.

Will you be ready?

[Huntinbull]

Zen, that is a very true, very scary, very motivational statement sir. Bravo.

I once asked a guy complaining about how he always sweats behind his holster, if being dry was a good enough feeling to trade it for being a victim.