#6) Shoot a Gun

Before I post about completing this particular item on my list, I want to make my views on the subject of guns and gun ownership clear in light of the tragedy in the US this past week. I do not own any guns. I don’t believe I ever will and I would NEVER have them in my house – I simply wouldn’t feel safe with weapons in my home nor am I interested in the great responsibility that gun ownership entails. Despite my personal feelings about gun ownership, I think after this horrific event at least as much attention needs to be paid to ensuring easily accessible mental health services for those who need them as is given to reforming gun control in the United States.

This past Saturday my friend Josh took Becca, Matt, and I to his gun club – The Wellington Street Sportsmen’s Club – for a trap shooting event. One of the members was nice enough to bring two youth guns so that Becca and I could participate (the normal sized ones are for GIANTS, or normal sized humans…whatever). I couldn’t believe how much fun I had.

I managed to hit 6 of the clay discs (not nearly as impressive as my fiancé’s 14) which amazed me as I was sure I wouldn’t hit a single one. The Club members who helped us were so kind and professional and made a very intimidating task seem completely doable.

I think I was prepared to be treated like a silly little girl but they made me feel tremendously capable and celebrated right alongside me when I hit my first disc (they even gave me the empty shell to keep as a souvenir!).

So do I think I’ll ever own a gun? No, but I wouldn’t hesitate for one moment to go back for an event like this at a professional facility. Crossing this one off my list will always be tinged with sadness because of everything that happened last week but I also think it helped me to realize that the whole debate around gun control is not black and white and that an entire society’s culture must change to prevent tragedies like the one in Newtown Connecticut from occurring in the future.