Frightened But Willing

Friday we spoke with a woman who'd just bought her very first gun.

Interestingly, not the first gun she'd owned.

She told us she was originally from New Jersey and she'd sold her father's guns as soon as she'd inherited them.  Sold them to the police...  Including a pearl-handled Colt Cobra.  C'est la vie.

She said she was increasingly frightened about living alone in her neighborhood and wanted something more than pepper spray.

We'd met her on the day her waiting period had run out and was picking up the gun and wanting to know anything and everything about shooting it.

When the owner deferred to Willard and I as experts on a Czech Skorpion pistol, she started to ask us questions too.

She was definitely very nervous about going shooting and we tried to calm her nerves while also being honest about what she'd experience.

She was honestly astonished that we two strangers would offer advice and try to be helpful.

We told her that we're a community, and she'd just joined as a full member.

We also told her that she shouldn't be afraid to ask for help at the range.  Most of us are completely willing to get someone past the first gate of actually firing their very first gun.

We wish her the best and I kind of wish we'd had the time to accompany her to the range and give more help.