Remember the guy who ran for governor of New York a few years back, from "The Rent Is Too Damn High" Party?
I thought of him today as I was out at KR Training in the brutal Central Texas winter weather (sunny, light breeze, temps in the low 60s). The rent we pay to be up to speed in our preparedness is often too damn high.
And I'm not just talking about the dollars we spend in order to be more self sufficient. I'm also including all of the various skill sets we need to know - first aid, marksmanship, food storage, alternative energy, water collection and purification, physical fitness, and on and on. To work a full time job, be a good spouse and parent, have some "normal" hobbies, and oh yeah, be able to manage your affairs for an extended period of time without infrastructure can be daunting.
Today's training efforts centered around proficiency with the AR-15. Big Brian and Aggie John were assistant instructors at today's course, which involved shooting modern sporting rifles or shotguns at distances up to 20 yards or so, utilizing cover and on the move.
I shot fairly well, although I continued to struggle with shooting the rifle from my weak side. I've made an effort to improve upon this with my handgun, but for me, shooting a long gun from the weak side is even more difficult.
John was great at helping me diagnose the problem. And while I struggled throughout the class with it, his help paid off later off in the evening. I practiced in the house (unloaded, bolt open) for a few minutes, and I'm pleased to report I can now reliably acquire the sights with my non-dominant eye very quickly. Thanks John!
It can be daunting, folks - staying competent in all the things we need to know how to do. Don't let it overwhelm you. Create a training calendar to help pace your development of new skills. Pace yourself. You'll be surprised at how much you learn just by scheduling time to learn a new skill or practice an old one.
You are most welcome. I am glad we were able to figure it out and get you through it. That really is the goal of teaching and why we do it. It certainly isn't the chicks or the fame or the money. Although those are a pretty cool bonus.
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