I laid in bed last night, unable to relax, listening to all the sounds of the new house and asking with each one "house, child, or something else?" I thought about how soundly and easily I sleep when my husband is here and how much I trust him to keep us safe. I hadn't even noticed the house noises at all until he wasn't here, then it became my job to listen and they kept me up.
I'm a little in awe of how easily he wears that mantle of responsibility. When I'm in charge, I mentally count the steps from myself to every child. I plan escape routes and double check doorknobs. I put my phone on the nightstand in case I should need to call for help. I figured out where my husband had put our guns and put them in a place where I could reach them faster and easier, because if someone comes through the door, I'm not looking for a step stool.
It was only once I knew where the guns were, and that I could protect us all if needed, that I started to relax. I'm not a big woman, and I can't take anyone in a fight, but I'm a darn good shot. I've had gun rights discussions with many people who say that the very idea of weapons makes them nervous I get their point, but disagree. The guns in our house are an equalizer between my size (or my teenager who's also a damn fine marksman) and anyone who might come through that door. I slept a little easier last night knowing that size doesn't matter and that I can protect my children. I've been told by anti-gun people that I could call 911 in case of an emergency, and they're right, but how much damage would be done before help got here? I guess I'm Texan enough to know that I can handle any bad guys I meet, and I'll call 911 to tell them where to collect the remains.
I'm ready for my husband to come home tonight so that I can again sleep easy, but if he's held up, I take comfort in knowing that I can easily fill his shoes.
13 comments:
I'm so with you here. I have warned my husband 1000 times that he should NEVER think it would be funny or sweet to come home early from a business trip and "sneak" into our room without identifying himself... loudly. I am quite prepared to shoot anyone above 4 feet tall.
My favorite gun rights bumper sticker: When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.
100% with you!!!!
I'm with you too, although I need a refresher course on using our firearms...
Pistol packin' mama...love it!
Good for you! You will gradually get used to all the noises, but in the mean time you're nervous. Very understandable. (I can't hit the side of a barn.)
I grew up in a house where my dad hunted and was a sharpshooter (ex military). There were always guns in the safe. He didn't carry a gun, nor did he keep one by his bedside. BUT, they also didn't lock the door, often left the garage door up and ALWAYS left the keys in all their cars (easier to find them when you want to go some where). So, needless to say, we didn't live in a town with any crime.
But, now that I am a city girl, it is much different.
My husband carries a hand gun and has a conceal/carry permit that is good in over 30 states. He keeps the gun that he carries in the bedside nightstand when he is sleeping. All his other guns are locked in a safe...with ammo in a separate safe (thanks to adoption laws).
I, on the other hand, carry pepper spray with me (since I was attacked at gun point a few years ago in our apartment parking lot). I have NEVER wanted to own.carry.use a gun before! I just always thought, if someone wants to shoot me, then I get to go meet the Lord sooner. Well, that all changed when we got Bella. Now it is my job to protect her (and myself because I need to be around to raise her). I would use a gun on anyone who wrongfully entered our house. That is my job.
hey, nice to know I am not crazy because I make sure one of the guns is within reach when hubbs is out of town :) To quote 'The Lord Of The Rings' 'Women in this country learned long ago that those whithout swords can still die on them'
My hubby went out of town for the first time in our 3 years of marriage a few weeks ago. Those three nights he was gone, our bed contained: baby, me, and pistol under pillow, in that order. I still slept poorly, but it is such a load off a woman's mind that there IS something you can do to stop someone from harming you, besides waiting for the police.
I'll call you a Texan when that gun is in your purse! LOL! Miss you!
I agree! So funny!
We have a gun by our bedside stand! ;) I learned to shoot pregnant! ;) So.much.fun!
I will pop a cap in yo' a$$! But I have yet to be home alone when bill is not here. I drive to my MIL"s house because I'm that chicken. :)
We haven't gotten a shotgun yet, but one of the first things I did when we moved in was figure out what walls would stop a bullet, what walls were only visual cover, where I can keep the old, cheap kitchen knives or WD40 so Kit can't reach but I can.... (there's no place in this house where you can be cornered without a means of defense-- or three)
Baseball bats or my husband's sword collection also figure in; Elf and I plan to make a game of "how defensible is this spot? How can you get out if you can't go out the door you came in?" with our kids.
I figure it's just good sense. We KNOW there are bad people out there.
So I've been following (stalking really) your blog for a few months now and have never commented before but this is just too awesome to pass up.
My future hubby and I were talking about our future home and everything that will come along with it and he said, "I almost feel sorry for anybody who breaks into our home because I will always have a gun in the nightstand next to my side of the bed." My reply was "I won't feel sorry if they break in when I'm here alone because they will be shot with my gun from my side of the bed." I'm with Lisa and I need to remember to warn him about that too!
Thank God for the 2nd amendment!
(On a side note, I really love your blog, please don't ever stop blogging!)
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