If you’d asked me five years ago if I would ever own a gun, the answer would have been “No.” Times change, though, and I’m willing to re-evaluate my thought processes, so… Why? A few reasons:

• I started having good conversations with someone I refer to as a gun advocate. The convos helped me understand that not all gun owners fit into one of the stereotypical categories of hunters, rednecks, and hoods. I learned a lot about the pre-conceived notions I had and changed my mind.
• I used to think “normal” people didn’t need protection. Just don’t go to those scary parts of town. This attitude doesn’t work in the United States of today. Through personal conversations and research, I now understand why “gun folk” complain about most gun laws (I’ll write a longer bit on this at some point).
• Today, some people seem to think that they are free to attack individuals because they don’t like skin color, accent, religion, or sexuality. Being able to protect yourself is something more in the forefront of people’s minds. The largest growing segment of new gun owners are women.

When I decided to learn how to shoot, I went to my gun advocate friend. I wanted to learn the right way to do things, both in terms of how to handle a gun and in doing everything legally. I live in a state with a lot of restrictions, and I didn’t want to run afoul of any of them. This was early in 2025. It’s now mid-2025. I have my Handgun Qualifying License and own two guns. I’ll talk about all of this in more detail. I hope you’ll join me on this journey of mine. I hope I can be informative and entertaining along the way.