My Gun Walk

Scott is a rabid consumer of Gun Talk Media so I reached out to see if he’d like to participate in the fun. Thankfully, he presented a piece that relates to most of us like-minded individuals.

As the ancient Chinese proverb teaches, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." The first step of my thousand-mile "gun walk" began when my father gave me his shotguns.

About eight years ago, I was stationed in Florida and on a much-needed trip home to Iowa to gather once again with family. While talking with my dad, the topic of hunting came up. He told me some really great stories of his past wing shooting. I noticed how his normally stoic facial expression began to change to something a little more animated. Then, as my older sister joined the conversation and added her memories of his hunts, my dad's face changed again to outright joy, something I rarely associated with Dad. It was an amazing experience!

The dialog evolved into how he will no longer be able to hunt and what he wanted to do with his shotguns. He told my sister and me that he wanted us to have them. Boy, oh boy, that sure livened up the conversation again! My sister and I decided to divide them up evenly. Well, I call it "even," anyway. Since there was an odd number of guns, I got the extra one. Thanks, Sis.

When I returned to Florida with my prized possessions, I asked some people at work how to "register" my guns. They laughed and told me that it was not necessary. As the only thing I knew about guns I learned from the media, I was confused. Why did they laugh? It seemed to be "common sense" to have to register my guns.

Since my friends' advice seemed to be wrong, I did my own research. This was when I began learning that much of what I "knew" about guns was wrong.

I started learning from different sources of information (Gun Talk is one of the dominant ones – shameless plug?  You bet!). These new sources not only changed my knowledge of guns, but they also changed my life. I learned how I was responsible for my own safety and that of my family.

So, I really needed to step up my game, but how?

If I was going to be the primary source of safety, I had to learn a lot in a short amount of time. To do that, I had to do it smartly. Since I could not find one trustworthy source of reliable information, I was going to have to actively seek out and discern GOOD sources from many different places.

During my search for this reliable information, I discovered I was going to have to get involved in politics. In the immortal words of Charlie Brown…“AAUGH!”

I never paid attention to politics and didn't want to. To me, "politics" was a four-letter word to be avoided at all costs. I never even voted before.

I was an introvert and mostly just wanted to be left alone. So, in addition to a venture into guns and providing for my family's safety, now I should actually get involved in politics? Insert Charlie Brown's famous exclamation here again.

I didn't know how to participate in my government. Where do I even start?

Fortunately, many of my "sources" were already teaching me about politics. I didn't realize it. Perhaps, because I wasn't actively listening to that. Once I did, I realized that getting "involved" wasn't just necessary, it really wasn't that hard. Not only was it relatively easy and cheap (and often free), I got a real sense of accomplishment out of it. Who woulda thunk it?

Politics amped up my transformation from "passive" to "active". Step by step, I got more and more involved in politics. And, not just about guns or the 2A, but other issues that affect the family that used to be decided FOR me without my knowledge or input. How was I okay with that before? How could I sit back and let people I have never met dictate what happens to my family and me? NO MORE!

So, as you can see, "guns" were the catalyst for a dynamic and relatively swift change in my life and the lives of my family. I am grateful to all those that have taught me so much in so little time. They have not only influenced me but my family as well.

As I said at the beginning of my story, my "gun walk" BEGAN with my father and those old shotguns.

Where will my “gun walk” END? Nobody knows. The truth be told, I hope it never does! ~ Scott

Scott Jessen
Scott is a liberty/responsibility minded, retired enlisted military dude who is relatively new to the benefits of being involved in firearms, hunting, self-reliance/defense, and politics. As such, his understanding of how these things interrelate and strengthen every American is constantly evolving. These experiences fuel his passion for not just "gun rights", but for ALL rights and what it takes to defend them.

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