Goal 31: Shoot a Gun, Accomplished!





Another goal accomplished! 10 out of 40, actually - a quarter of the way!



I shot a gun. A .22 caliber!

This whole experience brought up so many things for me (facing fears on my own, The American gun experience, America's obsession and divide on gun issues) - but - I loved it. Way more than I expected.

So how did this even become a goal?

I was raised in a very strict anti-gun household. Not only were no toy guns allowed in my house, no one was allowed to even use other toys and pretend they were guns. When I asked the instructor to take a photo of me with my first shot, I said, "My mom is going to be so disappointed in me!" Sure enough her response to the photo was, "Omg! Daughter of a hippie!"

When I was teaching in Japan, though, I had so many students that went to America and went to shooting ranges to try shooting - An American experience. And a uniquely American experience in some ways. So many students would assume I was a gun owner because I'm American. They were shocked to find out I'd never shot or held a gun. At first I thought it was crazy that these students were coming to the States and taking time out of their trip to go to a shooting range. But eventually I started wondering why these Japanese students were open to the experience and I wasn't? So, my goal was set.


I learned so much more from it than I ever expected.

The Experience.

I found a Living Social deal for half off a beginner lesson at a place in Rockville (Gilbert Indoor Range), just outside of DC. There was a video lesson, a test on gun safety, and then hands on lessons about the mechanics of the gun, followed by going out on the range.

The whole set up was great for me. I loved the slow approach. I found myself super nervous going in. I was on my own - no one to nervous giggle with. No one to crack jokes with. No one to share in my terrible or awesome bullseye hitting.



I got to shoot at various distances - 10, 15, 20, and 30 feet.

The instructor was a middle aged guy, former military. His daughter had just given birth to his first grandchild that night. Yet, here he was: Sharp, kind, patient. He was so supportive with lots of positive reinforcement. And lots of little quizzes. I was the only one in the class - so we went at my pace - it was unhurried, but not dull.



I was surprised how heavy the gun was and how heavy the elements of the gun were - the bolt release, the magazine release, the safety. I was surprised how tired my arms got holding it out for a long time and how quickly my eyes got blurry.



Me & My First shot! I was so relieved that I hit the paper at all - let alone anywhere near the target!

A few reflections.


Facing the fear of shooting a guy, by myself was interesting. I had way more nervous butterflies than I expected. "These are real guns, Dummy," kept going through my head. "Anything can happen!" When they kept calling it a HOT range (because people fire whenever they want not at all at the same time), it made me kind of wish I had someone with me. When the instructor told me I was going to shoot the last 40 rounds by myself, I thought, "But, who's going to cover my six?!" But - wouldn't you know it - of course, I felt all that much stronger having gone alone and made it through.


All the gun issues kept swirling. Gun violence in America is a source of pretty big frustration for me - so what  was I doing going to a gun range? But how can I go bananas about something constitutionally protected that I haven't even tried?


When the uber driver taking me from the metro to the range called and asked where I was going - I said I was going to a shooting range, he was like, "Whoa" as in ... I was wondering if I was going to need to call another ride. On the other hand, the uber driver who picked me up when it was over talked to me about it. I told him, I was raised anti-gun; almost knee jerk reaction, he was like - "I'm pro gun ...I'm conservative, and I'm pro gun, and I think the NRA does a lot in the country to defend gun safety." - but then said he'd never shot one! We ended up talking about the lesson and the experience - it was actually really nice.


In my brief discussion with uber driver #2, I said that I thought both sides try to make a very nuanced argument way too simple. Anti-gun Liberals are crazy to say or imply that no one should have a gun. An Oregon judge recently said that all guns should be thrown in the ocean. I completely understand the sentiment. And while I would love to live in a world where we could abolish all guns and weapons, that's not the world we live in. A lot of liberals aren't saying that we need to take them all but it can seem like that's all that pro-gun conservatives hear sometimes. Similarly, just because you can arm yourself doesn't mean that you should be able to arm yourself with anything that you can label as a gun. Not all regulations are a slippery slope towards taking away all the guns, but I understand why it can feel that way. It's a messy, emotional subject and there are strong arguments on both sides.


I will say this, I bought my gun lesson for my birthday - and since then have been watching all these post-apocalyptic shows (Falling Skies, The Walking dead, The Fifth Wave, The Last Ship) - and I have to tell you, it made me really happy I had a gun lesson on the books.

Look at all those bullseyes!



Goal Met: I went outside my comfort zone.  I tried something new. I loved it. I learned a lot about me I didn't expect to. And, I'd go again tomorrow. 

Classic 13: The Time Machine

A classic science fiction for good reason.

This book was short (76 pages) and to the point. Like books of its time, it set the scene and jumped right in to the heart of the story.

Similar to Frankenstein, the book is told in first person, from different characters - but only 2. The first introduces the protagonist, and then story shifts to the story of the Time Traveller. In some ways, we have done away with the need to "set up the story" like this, but I kind of enjoy the way the classics do it. Teeing it up, in a way. It reminds me of the Princess Bride - with young Fred Savage in his bed getting ready to hear the story. We are shifted to hear the story not just from our own perspective, but someone else's and by so doing, hear the story in a different way, too. Simple, but brilliant.

Also similar to Frankenstein - this book was more philosophical than I expected. It used time travel as a way to deal with big, huge societal questions - about socialism/communism, and the purpose of our existence, and played with ideas like how love of war and combat can be a survival instinct and a survival hindrance.

The biggest issue it seemed to contemplate was one class or one race's dominance of another - and how that might play out. HG Wells peeled back the layers of assumptions we make and pushed those ideas a bit farther.

The language in this book dragged. The plot carried the book more than any connection with the primary storyteller. The result being that the 76 pages took longer than I wanted it to (Thank you, jury duty for giving me the chance to get so much reading done!), but it was a solid book with groundbreaking ideas, that have paved the way for so much creativity.

Recommended for: Someone wanting to explore the foundations of time travel stories. Someone who wants to take a step into history and into the future at the same time.