The other day, as I was leaving the office, someone asked me if I was going to go blow up more stuff. Before that, I was invited to take six of my female coworkers shooting. I don’t know the first thing about teaching noobs to shoot. I leave that to professionals. And my parents are constantly asking what cool guns I’ll be reviewing next. In short, people have started to pigeonhole me as a gun guy. That makes me uncomfortable, for two reasons. First, I do other things. I’m a food guy, a motorcycle guy, a beard guy, an airplane guy, and an outdoors guy. Second, I consider the gun guy thing a liability . . .
I hope and pray each day that my guns never get used to do anything but ping steel, shred paper and put meat on the table. I hope you feel the same. However, we all know that guy at the gun shop or range who proudly proclaims that he’d be the first to kill somebody if they tried to harm him. He pats his side and dares anybody to mug him. By God, he’s got shotguns in every room of his house. Just try to break in!
One day, that guy might end up actually getting his wish. And once the shock wears off, he can STFU all he wants with the cops post shooting, but he’s going to get crucified in a civil case with the perp’s family.
Mom will get up and cry and talk about how her baby boy was an angel. The perp’s PO will talk about how he was really turning things around. And the final nail in the coffin will be the gun guy’s coworkers and associates. They will take the stand and talk about what a deranged psycho that guy was. How he was basically just waiting to shoot somebody.
True or not, that’s the picture that is going to get painted.
Some of you will think I’m paranoid. Fair enough. Advice is like a penny at the gas station. Take it or leave it. So here’s mine: be a gun guy. But also be an other things guy. Guns are fun, and you can spend your entire life dedicated to being involved with guns and never scratch the surface. But it is easy to get a bit myopic. Pick up another habit for no other reason than to keep up the appearance of not being a crazy gun guy. Even if you are.