On Self-Reliance

There are a few things I want every person in the United States to have done by the time they turn 25 (in no particular order):

-Build something with a hammer (a birdhouse works, but a cabinet works better)
-Cut something substantial with a saw (like a hole in drywall for a walljack)
-Change their own oil in their cars
-Wash and Wax their own cars
-Shoot a gun at a range
-Format and install everything on their computers from scratch
-Take something apart and put it back together in working order
-Cook your own meal, start to finish, and clean up afterwards.
-Sew something together using both a machine and hand-sewing

Yes, it means that I want every high school kid to take Shop Class, Home Ec[onomics], a computer course, and a car care course (or any other courses that cover these areas). I think it's key that everybody know how to do these things with confidence so that they can take care of themselves, without having to learn the hard way or on-the-fly. I also think that knowing how to do these things rounds a person out pretty well--at least they'll have done them, so that they know what's going on when they pay someone else to do them. And possibly they'll know enough about what needs to be done that they won't have to pay someone to do it for them.

I've been thinking of this list for some time now because at my job I was given the task of installing hardware for a third party. I was to mount a plasma TV, re-mount a pair of overhead projectors, and run some cable from one room to another. These are pretty simple things that can basically be done by anyone.

Anyone except the people who hired us, my manager, and the other developer on my team--they really had no idea where to begin, or how to go about doing anything related to this job. What really pissed me off about it was not that it was manual labor, but that my manager is in his 30's, and the other developer is two years older than I am and has his own house! Neither of them had a clue! How would they fix something if it broke in their houses?

I actually found my mind boggled, and to this day (two, three months later) every time this particular place or the particular job is mentioned I actually physically, involuntarily cringe, and the words "Not again!" flash through my mind.

That Invincible Feeling

I've recently purchased a Smith & Wesson SW9VE for carry-duty, range-work, and dry-fire practice. As with most people, I like pretty much everything about it...except for the trigger, which is gritty and heavy. There are other things I don't like about it: the trigger reach could be a millimeter or two shorter, the serrations on the slide could be wider and deeper or at least sharper, and it would've been nicer to have a Picatinny rail on it, instead of S&W's proprietary rail.

That being said, the thing I dislike most about it is the lack of accessories for it: there are no holsters or aftermarket parts available anywhere! The pistol has a rail, but it's S&W's proprietary rail system so the laser-sights and flashlights are limited to S&W's meager offerings.

So what is a do-it-yourself-er like me to do?

I made my own holster for it, having ordered Kydex holster material and other hardware parts online. It was pretty easy, too, since Kydex forms with heat and retains its shape once it has cooled (and can be formed again later). It was my first holster, which allowed me to customize it to my own needs (adjustable cant, full-shrouding, etc.). I was pretty proud of it, so I took it to show my dad.

He glanced at it and said, "I wish you had a different hobby."

I was taken a little aback and became somewhat hurt that my father didn't offer any praise for such a well-made and functional piece of hardware (he's a DIY-er himself, having made several modifications to his house and having made several pieces of useful furniture). He didn't seem impressed at all that I didn't display any reliance on a third party to get something done--he chose instead to give voice to his concerns about my interest in weapons.

"Guns have an evil spirit. If you're not careful, they'll suck your soul," he said--he actually said that! I suppose he's alluding to the supposed feeling of power guns give those who wield them. While I suppose there's an element of truth to that (I've heard stories of people getting shot or almost getting shot because someone thought the Four Rules didn't apply to them), I personally have never felt that sort of invincibility and I don't think I ever will. As a matter of fact, I actually feel more vulnerable when I wear my gun openly--I felt that way at my friend's party a few weekends back, openly-carrying for the first time with no legal requirement in the company of friends. I also felt that way at the Virginia Citizen's Defense League meeting on May 17th, with all of the press there. I didn't feel invincible--on the contrary, I felt meek and nervous, stepping out with all of those cameras.

I suppose for some people having a gun is empowering--not so for me; they actually increase my sense of humility, because I know that I'm not the best shot out there. Because with this deadly power I am not certain of how I would respond, now, should a situation arise, or how I would handle the aftermath. It's so much easier to be sheep, to be a victim--that way you're not responsible for anything that happens to you. To defend yourself, that's hard. You have to know how much force is justified, when it is justified, what you legally can and cannot do.

All of this adds up to making me more humble, not less, by carrying a gun and becoming responsible for my own defense.

I wish my dad could see that.