Putting the Guns Back in Christmas

I fired a gun for the first time on Christmas Eve. Prior to the experience, I had to hold back the urge to cry.

My lovely family has been visiting for the Christmas holidays. On Christmas Eve my brother-in-law took us to a shooting range to shoot guns for the first time. He having fired his first gun only weeks earlier made this a bit of a shock to the rest of us, never mind the physical shock of being around so many firearms being discharged in an echoey room.

We all donned our safety glasses and "headphones." and walked into the hallway separating the main storefront from the gallery proper. It was very important that both doors not be open at the same time. We all wandered in afraid, not really sure what to do. I was unsure of even making eye contact with the other men that were all in the gallery. Someone started firing with a new gun -- a shinier, louder gun that made me flinch rather awkwardly, almost like twisting my body diagonally in half in discomfort. As I did so, I made eye contact with one of the other men, perhaps the one closest to my age (who probably thought I was 16). I'm not sure what sort of look I gave him as we stared at each other and looked away but I would imagine it was one of half-hid shock as I worked to conceal my fear and pain at the entire experience [this is not to say that Alden took us shooting against our will but that I've always been more than a little afraid of firearms] and an expression that perhaps looked in askance: why do people do this? or even simpler: why is that gun so freaking loud?

I started out on a small rifle. It felt like nothing. And, in comparison with the other guns being fired, probably was nothing. Alden patiently taught me how to load it, how to work the safety. He showed me and then watched me do it; showed me how to cock the gun.

After waiting around for a while, I moved to the next line and got to use the handgun. It was a wood and metal number, I don't recall the specific type. I'm not sure I knew what it was or if I ever heard Alden give the description through my earplugs and protective "headphones." We went through the entire learning process again, Alden patiently explaining to me the gun mechanisms. This gun had a little more kick to it. I had my face so close to the gun when I was aiming that it almost hit me in the face a few times -- but didn't. This gun's noise was worse but still nothing in comparison of the virtually automatic guns that were being fired on either side of us at this point.

I'm glad for the experience -- it's always good to face a fear. And even though I had been ready to cry when we began, almost feeling like I wasn't ready for the experience, I was glad that we did it in the end. I'm still glad. Makes me want to face other fears, though which ones in particular I'm not quite sure....

After we went to the shooting range, Laura and I drove all the way down to Midtown to my office to get a Christmas present I left there, then to my apartment to get another one, then back up to Cumming to attend dad's chorale group's performance at a church service. We left that service and then went to Wednesday night church for our Church.

At church, the power was flickering on and off just after the readings were to finish and just as the second portion started, giving people the chance to stand and share testimonies of healing. The power went out for good. Normally, the ushers have microphones for people to talk into but instead, people just stood up and spoke in the mostly dark. It was a calm thing, really, and beautiful in its simplicity. Since the power was out, the organ was out of commission. Instead, we sang two carols, Joy to the World and Silent Night together in the dark. Just as we were finishing the last verse of Silent Night, the lights came back on. I rather preferred the dark, really. Such a lovely, quiet few moments of singing and listening.

Afterwards around 9 pm we went to IHOP to eat dinner before a marathon Christmas gift wrapping session at home.

Shooting guns, driving to Atlanta and back, 2 church services, singing carols in the dark, and IHOP. Not your typical Christmas Eve, huh?