Outed. Interesting.
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 3:58 pm
So-
We have good friends, a family who are missionaries normally living overseas. When they are back in TX often times their daughter, who is my daughter's best friend, will stay with us for weeks at a time. These are family friends who we have known for the better part of a decade. They were returning to TX (home) as they do every other summer and before they left they invited us over for dinner and to hang out one last time before they returned to the field.
We had been sitting around the table discussing various things and everyone started comparing driver's license photos. My wife mentioned something about the "other one" knowing that my CHL photo looks like a mug shot and I showed it.
Well, of course this started a discussion :)
"So you have a concealed handgun license? Wow. I would have never thought. You are not the type who would have a gun."
He admitted that he is terrified of guns and would be afraid to even touch one if he saw one. Said he was glad I was carrying and that other CHL holders carry because in TX that means that he doesn't have to... criminals are deterred by the suspicion or chance that anyone could be carrying (which is maybe a little bit true). Then my wife began to tell the story of how I wound up turning into an unlikely gun owner and I finished telling the story and they were all intrigued and kind of floored that someone like me would even own a gun, never mind carry one.
After a few more minutes of conversation, the guy asked me, "so do you have a gun on you now?" I tried to deflect but eventually my wife answered for me (with pride, and a little bit of a roll of the eyes), that I carry all the time.
Half hour later, while we were all standing around in the kitchen (myself, my wife, my two daughters, and the other couple and their two teen daughters), the guy said "so, where exactly are you carrying this gun?" I said on my right hip, and he said "can I see?" Now I know it's technically illegal... but hey this was in a private home. Eventually they wanted to see the gun so I unloaded and opened the slide on my LCP and the guy who had just been petrified of guns was handling it and intrigued to say the least. They all wanted to look at it, handle it, etc.
Next time they're in TX he wants to go to the firing range and learn to handle, load, shoot, etc.
I am guessing this will be the next unlikely gun owner, you know, not the type.
It was interesting how quickly this family transformed from "afraid of guns" to "intrigued and interested" in just a few minutes when they were aware that someone they have known and trusted for years turned out to be a gun owner, and even carried one. Amazingly, I was not dangerous or scary at all :) None of my guns ever jumped up and shot their daughter while she was staying at my house. The stereotype sort of fell apart right before their eyes. I kind of felt like they suddenly realized, you know good people with guns can be a comforting thought.
We have good friends, a family who are missionaries normally living overseas. When they are back in TX often times their daughter, who is my daughter's best friend, will stay with us for weeks at a time. These are family friends who we have known for the better part of a decade. They were returning to TX (home) as they do every other summer and before they left they invited us over for dinner and to hang out one last time before they returned to the field.
We had been sitting around the table discussing various things and everyone started comparing driver's license photos. My wife mentioned something about the "other one" knowing that my CHL photo looks like a mug shot and I showed it.
Well, of course this started a discussion :)
"So you have a concealed handgun license? Wow. I would have never thought. You are not the type who would have a gun."
He admitted that he is terrified of guns and would be afraid to even touch one if he saw one. Said he was glad I was carrying and that other CHL holders carry because in TX that means that he doesn't have to... criminals are deterred by the suspicion or chance that anyone could be carrying (which is maybe a little bit true). Then my wife began to tell the story of how I wound up turning into an unlikely gun owner and I finished telling the story and they were all intrigued and kind of floored that someone like me would even own a gun, never mind carry one.
After a few more minutes of conversation, the guy asked me, "so do you have a gun on you now?" I tried to deflect but eventually my wife answered for me (with pride, and a little bit of a roll of the eyes), that I carry all the time.
Half hour later, while we were all standing around in the kitchen (myself, my wife, my two daughters, and the other couple and their two teen daughters), the guy said "so, where exactly are you carrying this gun?" I said on my right hip, and he said "can I see?" Now I know it's technically illegal... but hey this was in a private home. Eventually they wanted to see the gun so I unloaded and opened the slide on my LCP and the guy who had just been petrified of guns was handling it and intrigued to say the least. They all wanted to look at it, handle it, etc.
Next time they're in TX he wants to go to the firing range and learn to handle, load, shoot, etc.
I am guessing this will be the next unlikely gun owner, you know, not the type.
It was interesting how quickly this family transformed from "afraid of guns" to "intrigued and interested" in just a few minutes when they were aware that someone they have known and trusted for years turned out to be a gun owner, and even carried one. Amazingly, I was not dangerous or scary at all :) None of my guns ever jumped up and shot their daughter while she was staying at my house. The stereotype sort of fell apart right before their eyes. I kind of felt like they suddenly realized, you know good people with guns can be a comforting thought.
.45 >>>> %%%%