so i'm at a church meeting last night, commemorating the last supper. theres a lot more people than usual at this service, as we commemorate it once a year, instead of weekly as some other churches do.
i had started out by trying to figure out an easy way to carry while wearing a tucked in button down and no real cover garment other than a columbia jacket. i opted to carry the holstered pistol in a coat pocket, i dont want to upset anyone by having a IWB bulging underneath my tucked in shirt. (my Steyr has limited options of holsters).
a few minutes before the service started, i heard over the noise of 200+ people talking someone yell the "eff" word. i figured it must have been my imagination, until a couple seconds later i hear someone yelling over the crowd, swearing up a storm. i stand up and turn around and see this guy who is about my age that i met at least ten years ago, but havent seen him around church for a long time. he is stomping around, through the crowd, not pushing his way through really, but he is upset at something. he makes his way all the way around the entire room, yelling about "You threaten MY life, you haters!" with all kinds of obscenities mixed in as well. he isn't really saying it to anyone in particular though. his gaze goes over people, but he is looking right through them. i'm guessing he is tweaking on some sort of drugs and as he makes his way up to the front where my family and i are sitting, i unzip my jacket pocket and put my hand on my weapon. i know no one else is armed, and by this time the room has gone silent and all you hear (beside the heart pounding in your chest) is his stomping feet and his yelling.
i've now moved (instinctively) between him and my family and he walks up and stops in front of me. like i said, hes looking right through people, and in that split second my mind is racing.
***no weapon is visible, is he a threat?***
***whats under his sweatshirt?***
***if he is on drugs what will it take to stop him?***
***i cant afford to miss at this range in this size of a crowd***
he walks a few feet past me and three other men have taken positions around him. his mother has caught up to him and wraps her arms around him and starts pushing him towards the door.
i then realize my jaw is clenched tight and is beginning to cramp. my mouth is bone dry. my lower back is aching, as it always does when i'm in a high stress situation. i look behind me and my neices are really shaken up.
i lean over and tell one of them "this is why i carry a gun. you never know when someone is going to flip out like that and endanger the safety of others."
30 minutes later i was still fighting off the pucker factor. i almost didnt carry last night, but now i know better. and i am shopping for a new holster that is tuckable.
i had started out by trying to figure out an easy way to carry while wearing a tucked in button down and no real cover garment other than a columbia jacket. i opted to carry the holstered pistol in a coat pocket, i dont want to upset anyone by having a IWB bulging underneath my tucked in shirt. (my Steyr has limited options of holsters).
a few minutes before the service started, i heard over the noise of 200+ people talking someone yell the "eff" word. i figured it must have been my imagination, until a couple seconds later i hear someone yelling over the crowd, swearing up a storm. i stand up and turn around and see this guy who is about my age that i met at least ten years ago, but havent seen him around church for a long time. he is stomping around, through the crowd, not pushing his way through really, but he is upset at something. he makes his way all the way around the entire room, yelling about "You threaten MY life, you haters!" with all kinds of obscenities mixed in as well. he isn't really saying it to anyone in particular though. his gaze goes over people, but he is looking right through them. i'm guessing he is tweaking on some sort of drugs and as he makes his way up to the front where my family and i are sitting, i unzip my jacket pocket and put my hand on my weapon. i know no one else is armed, and by this time the room has gone silent and all you hear (beside the heart pounding in your chest) is his stomping feet and his yelling.
i've now moved (instinctively) between him and my family and he walks up and stops in front of me. like i said, hes looking right through people, and in that split second my mind is racing.
***no weapon is visible, is he a threat?***
***whats under his sweatshirt?***
***if he is on drugs what will it take to stop him?***
***i cant afford to miss at this range in this size of a crowd***
he walks a few feet past me and three other men have taken positions around him. his mother has caught up to him and wraps her arms around him and starts pushing him towards the door.
i then realize my jaw is clenched tight and is beginning to cramp. my mouth is bone dry. my lower back is aching, as it always does when i'm in a high stress situation. i look behind me and my neices are really shaken up.
i lean over and tell one of them "this is why i carry a gun. you never know when someone is going to flip out like that and endanger the safety of others."
30 minutes later i was still fighting off the pucker factor. i almost didnt carry last night, but now i know better. and i am shopping for a new holster that is tuckable.