Out of the Ordinary

Lately I haven't been feeling 100% myself. I've been experiencing lots of different emotions that I can't quite make sense of. Or maybe I just don't want to verbalize everything I am feeling on the inside. Either way I have been in desperate need of something out of the ordinary to lift my spirits a bit, and today that came from an unexpected opportunity.

Today I got to do something that was a little bit different from what I usually do on a Monday. I went with the Young Women (ages 12-18) from my church shooting. Yes, shooting......guns. I was a little nervous about how it would all go, but everything went better than expected. The girls and I took a gun safety class a few months ago, and were eager to put our new knowledge to the test.

Our group consisted of 10 teenage girls, 4 adult women, and 2 very knowledgeable "range masters." We drove out to the middle of nowhere and spent the morning learning how to safely handle, load, and shoot various types of rifles and assault weapons. I was impressed at how respectful all the girls were to the rules of the shooting range. I felt completely safe the entire time.

I started out being a little bit hesitant, but let me tell you a little secret......after only one or two shots I loved it...maybe a little too much. With each shot I felt like I was letting go of a little piece of built up anxiety and hostility I have been carrying around with me for the last several weeks. It felt good to just let go. And it turns out I'm not too bad of a shot.

After a morning of shooting targets, soda cans, pumpkins, clay pigeons, oranges, and one random Hannah Montana doll I left for home feeling pretty pleased with myself and slightly liberated as well. Who knew that a day shooting was just what this girl needed.