Gone Shooting

On Friday I went with some law school friends to the Deerfield Range and learned to shoot a gun.  It's difficult for me to put this experience into words.  If you have never fired a gun, it is a memorable experience.  I have wanted to learn how to shoot a gun for some time.  Why?  In the event I would be in a situation where a gun would be present, just knowing some of the basics of gun care and function gives me a sense of calm.  Of course there are many different types of guns, and I have no idea how similar or different they are in their functions.  

I learned how to shoot a gun from someone who was trained in the law enforcement.  She is a good teacher and made the experience as good as it could be.  I appreciated that everyone I was with seemed to take gun safety seriously and made a point of ensuring I knew a few basic principles to keep me and everyone else safe.  

I don't know what I expected in learning to shoot, but it was more than a little overwhelming.  After the first shot, I put the gun down and felt like I didn't need to do it again.  Thankfully, I was pushed to continue to fire all the bullets in the gun, so I could really get a sense of shooting.  It's not exactly intimidating, but the magnitude of the power in my hands weighed heavily on my mind.  

Interestingly enough, I am actually a good shot.  I listened to what I was told to do and just like the good student I aim to be, followed through with precision.  My shots were consistent and my aim was accurate.  For what it's worth, I guess I could be good at it if I wanted to be.

Not sure that's something in my future.