Wednesday, September 21, 2011

OC again

I guess the whole point of doing something outside our comfort zone is to try to get to the point where you are comfortable doing it. That, or you just love misery. The whole OC thing has pretty much become a non-issue for me. Either the sight of a six foot tall, middle-aged mom openly wearing a pistol and teasing her daughter by threatening to rip off her am and beat her with the wet end if she doesn’t shape up doesn’t cause any raised eyebrows in my neck of the woods, or I’m just totally oblivious to it. (So much for SA, eh?)
 No problems at the mall, the big box home improvement store, the fabric store, or the cheeseburger place or the donut shop. My local hardware store doesn’t bat an eye, but maybe that’s because I took my matchlock musket in to show them one day. My favorite local pizza place seems to greet me even more enthusiastically than they used to. One thing I have noticed, though, is that I’m much more cognizant of my behavior when I wearing my pistol. I can’t pretend that I’m invisible and that nobody is paying attention to me, like in high school . I realize that everything I do and say is being judged (consciously or not) in context of the gun. So, while I’d much rather glare at salespeople, ignore attempts at pointless conversation while standing in line, or start ranting when I’m asked if I’ve found everything I need, I find myself being polite. Engaging, even. Sometimes actually downright helpful.
Proof in my mind that  being armed in society is making me more polite, at least. And that's a start.

3 comments:

  1. As the man (Heinlein) said "An armed society is a polite society".
    I've been carrying openly most weekends - at least until the weather turns, and do make an effort to be extra polite. Few reactions and those are positive - especially since most of the time I'm carrying my Model 28 with newly-made Blu Magnum grips of Bird's Eye Maple...

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  2. i open carry occasionally and the only comment I have gotten is from a supermarket superstore manager who approached me and said "don't worry, I ignore most of the people who say things about you guys. I tell them as long as they (referring to me OC'ing) aren't hurting anyone, they are to be left alone."

    I consider that a big win.

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