A Quick Lafer for Wooo
Someone mentioned “burying the hatchet.” I’m simply incapable of holding a grudge, and it’s been a lifelong flaw and affliction. Worse, it doesn’t seem to matter whether it was a smart or stupid grudge.
I can’t really understand why it’s that way, other than I can’t help feeling how I feel about things. Seems to me plenty unhealthy if my natural sense is to go one way, but I force myself to go another and chalk it up to “discipline.” Stress? I like low stress. I’m amazed at the power of women to hold grudges forever, though. Just my sense. The only years-on-end grudges amongst various friends and family I’ve been aware of are exclusively held by women.
Anyway, Wooo, this is by no means a spork. This is real protectionez. A few years back, Friday afternoon at the range, me practicing one hand shootin’. And I’m sad than when I pan the camera down, it’s too dark and people don’t get to see my nana’s snub nose .38 revolver she had on her bedside table the whole 40-sumthin’ years I knew her. It’s now mine.
I think you could do this. It’s practice & training, like anything else.
Spork? Gun? Spork? Gun? Spork? ….
Don’t sell yourself short. And if not, get yourself some decent self-defense training. Learn just how much damage a surprise head but or elbow punch can do (way more than busting balls).
(bisou)
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Free The Animal is an eclectic writing project about everything since November 2003. 23 years, 5,500 posts, 5 million words.
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but for most people there are other options.
But for ALL people, your personal safety is your own responsibility. I think what people don’t understand about civil authority is they bear no burden of protecting others. Most are good people, and do so as a matter of being humane, but it’s neither fair nor constructive to obligate others to “save” me. That’s a weird assignment of responsibility, like expecting them to be your person super-heroes. They’re reactive backup, nothing more. These days where I live they’re as likely to feel you up during a traffic stop as help you out, so while I am generally pro law enforcement, buyer beware.
Richard, I (and my cohort of Crispy Christian housewives) am drawn to you for your candor and because your lack of grudge-bearing, among other things, comes through in your writing. It’s hardly a weakness – it’s totally hawt.
“Richard, I (and my cohort of Crispy Christian housewives) am drawn to you for your candor and because your lack of grudge-bearing, among other things, comes through in your writing.”
I never said I didn’t admire many aspects of religious ethics, whichever ones one chooses (of the wholesomish kind—not like kamakazee shit). In fact, I am always open to the argument that religion is/was a necessary evolutionary step or we might have gone extinct. It was a primitivish measure to help people manage the vast complexities of civilization as compared to HG realities. On the one hand, living in the wild is hard and there is zero forgiveness. On the other, there are plenty of safeguards in civilization, in exchange for freedom.
I understand the tradeoff.
I’m just looking for the next reality in evolution, where we retain the best of civilization, but dump the mysticism. Could be hundreds of years off, or just around the corner. Since I don’t know, it’s just always full steam ahead for me.
Thanks for the recognition. IRL, I can actually get along fine with anyone who’s not a predator.
By all means call 911, but remember…..When seconds count the police are only minutes away. If you’re lucky.
Woo, the gun people I know aren’t out looking for trouble. Quite the opposite. They trained to recognize potential trouble, avoid it, and prevent it. It seems you’ve already gone through such training, huzzah to that.
The purpose of owning and carrying a gun isn’t to use it. No sane gun carrier is looking to use it. Generally, if you get into a situation where one would have helped but you didn’t have one, you’ll be dead, raped, maimed, kidnapped, or maybe just seriously injured. That’s what the gun is for.
“because in reality, particularly if you are a small female, you can be disarmed especially if you tend to freeze/panic/anxiety responses under stress vs anger and aggression.”
Properly stated, “If you tend to freeze/panic in response to stress, you can be easily disarmed. This becomes easier if you’re a small woman.”
This is where realistic training comes, but it is true that is still no guarantee. Of course, the opposite side is if you freeze or panic and completely unarmed, you start disarmed. Of course, the video shown is completely unrealistic when compared to you situation, but a little thought and one can come into realistic protection drills.
“I dont see how a gun would have helped. What helped was being vigilant, aware, calling for help, trusting intuition. Walking home and telling myself “dont worry, I have a gun” might have worked too but it would be needlessly violent + risky vs simply avoiding the situation / looking for authorities before exposing myself to a risk.”
Why would having a gun prevent the prior vigilance and proactive actions? Gun ownership is not insurance; you’re smart enough to understand it does not negate the need for the other defensive actions, as are the majority of concealed gun carriers I know.
“If someone were to break into my home, a gun would help… but I could also call the police”
The same panic/freeze reaction issue applies when trying to get you phone to call 911. There’s a good chance you simply won’t get the call away, especially if your phone is anything like mine. Getting a call away requires me to in sequence press at least five virtual button, all smaller than a square centimeter, without any mis-pressing.
Disclaimer: I don’t carry a gun. I do encourage women, especially those who often travel alone to do so; secondary to that, I do my best to make it clear range shooting, as practiced by most, is the short first step in the process of being competent with the weapon.
I’m a hunter. I own 7 guns–2 rifles, 2 shotguns, and 3 pistols. Unless I am out to kill something, I don’t carry a gun.
I read Woo’s story on her scary night out. I had an event like that recently, too. I was picking blueberries, alone, 10 miles up a winding river. No one in the world knew where I was. About an hour into my gathering, I heard a noise–moose, person? No. Bear! Big momma black bear with 3 cubs, no less. Me with my bucket of blueberries and cellphone with zero bars.
I stood up on a little mound of dirt and waved my hands in the air and yelled “Hey Bear, Ya Bear, Get Out of Here Bear”. The bear didn’t even look at me, just took off running in the opposite direction, all three cubs close behind her.
I probably wouldn’t be writing this story if I had stumbled in between momma bear and her three cubs. If I had a gun, I may not have had time to use it. I find it much better to be continually aware of your surroundings and not look like a threat or a victim.
I can’t imagine living in a city full of human predators, but it’s probably not much different than living in bear country.