Braver Than I Look {apparently}

This has NOTHING to do with today's topic, but I must start by wishing my parents a very happy 61st wedding anniversary. Sixty-one years is a big deal. Ryan and I are halfway to that many months...we'd have to live a long time to make it to that many years. If we do, and you're our caretaker, party for us, will you? I have no doubt we'll be out of our minds by then.

Meanwhile...a throwback to last week and a story I never told you! I have hesitated to write this post mostly because it has to do with guns, and my goodness is that ever way too hot a topic for this non-controversial blogger girl. So please know that I am not writing this to stir any pots. Please don't stir a pot. Just hear a story.

I'm not really a gun-girl. I think the only time I've ever encountered them in any form was back in 2010 when I went on vacation and my hosts lured me into trying their air-soft guns. I tried them, I probably didn't do very well despite their encouragement that I did, and that was the end of that.

But Ryan thought it would be a good thing for both of us to learn some basic skills, so he arranged for his brother to teach us. He's in law enforcement and quite skilled, and a very good teacher, I might add, after sitting in on his class. When I say he taught us, I don't mean he just mentioned a few things in our direction. I mean we sat a table...watched a power point, had verbal quizzes...it was a real class. And I have to say, it was really helpful. I am not really a big fan of classes and meetings, but he made it interesting and some of his points were things I had no idea about, so I came away feeling very educated and thankful that Ryan thought to set it up - and thankful that Rod was willing to take an evening to share his knowledge.

After class came the hands-on training. Rod had arranged for us to go to an outdoor shooting range, and he loaned me a pair of his fancy pants earplug thingies. {I'm sure there's a more technical term. But I like mine better.} Ryan asked if I planned to take out my earrings, and I said, "Why? Wore these on purpose so I can look cute for the pictures."

Right when we arrived, it started to rain, but we held on in case it let up, which it did. But I had to giggle at my own self, because there I was, out in the middle of a field, in my capris and t-shirt and dangly earrings, with big old ear plugs, my Vera Bradley purse hanging on my back, and the umbrella over my head. This is probably not the normal look for the shooting range, is it?

Ryan went first, and he looked like a pro to me!

And then it was my turn.

I will not lie. Scared. Out. Of. My. Ever. Loving. Mind.

It's kind of a bad mix when you throw the girl who hates to fail in a setting where she needs to hold her own in front of her husband, his cop brother, and the two other guys learning alongside us.

Rod told me to just relax. Seriously? Does ANY of this situation look relaxing to you??

So I gave it my best shot...so to speak.

Pretty sure I screamed when the shot finally fired, and all the guys probably laughed at me. But when I was done with that round, and Rod checked, he said, "Just so you know, you had a better shot than your husband."

Boom.

We each took turns at another round, and Ryan rocked it!!

The second time, I had one really bad shot, and I remembered that in our class, we learned one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to forget to breathe.

I forget to breathe often. Like this week...I've been a writing fool, and I've gotten so engrossed in my writing, I've totally forgotten to breathe. So when it occurred to me that I forgot to breathe, Rod stood there and said BREATHE, BREATHE, BREATHE, BREATHE...while I waited for my shot to fire. And it turns out he was right! That did help!

In the end, I won. I realize this is not a game, and there really aren't winners, but I so rarely win that I am making it a win/lose, and am declaring myself the winner.

Ryan was proud of me, although he did laugh when he found out I had every intention of keeping that paper. Forever.

And his mom told me later, that Rod didn't think I'd actually do it. Hey. I may be a big chicken, but I am NOT going to chicken out in front of all the boys. I'm braver than I look.

{PS - I may have come the closest to center this time, but Ryan ROCKED IT. He did great, and I am so proud of him!!!}