If you’re a regular reader of this weekly report, you probably carry a gun. And if you pay attention to the tips in this publication, you regularly practice your shooting skills, including safely drawing your gun from concealment. In other words, you are prepared to defend yourself or others.
In addition, regardless of your age or sex, we at the USCCA encourage you to take the steps to keep yourself in reasonably good physical condition. In my carry training classes, I’ve encountered many students, especially young, strong military veterans, who are in superb physical condition.
Older people especially, if they exercise regularly, can improve their chances of surviving a violent confrontation, even if they don’t ever actually need to shoot. I’ve also had many students with varying disabilities, some with missing limbs, who often display remarkable firearms skills.
But any of us can find ourselves temporarily in a physical condition that can have a real, and potentially severe, impact on our ability to defend ourselves. Even a minor car or motorcycle accident, or a mishap at home with a ladder or a power tool, can mean a considerable alteration in your lifestyle, even if only temporarily.
And then there are all those sports injuries, involving people of all ages. Amateur sports-related sprains, cuts, and even broken bones now account for a surprising number of emergency room admissions. Stuff happens.
Then there are those completely unforeseen medical problems that simply come out of left field. My own situation is a perfect example. Earlier this year, I felt a little mushiness in my abdominal wall. After a quick trip to the doctor, I discovered that I had massive hernia, something I never expected.
The doctor explained that since he would be using the latest high-tech “robotic” techniques, it was now a much quicker procedure and could be done as “outpatient-surgery”—meaning I could go home the same day. Great! So let’s just “get it done,” right?
Well, not quite. He then explained the recuperation regimen: EIGHT WEEKS of severely limited physical activity. For at least the first four weeks, I was strongly warned not to lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk.
Bottom line? For an extended period of time, I was simply not going to be able to operate at anywhere near my normal level of performance. Oh sure, I carried my gun as I always do, and I was able to compensate somewhat as I got used to my newfound limitations. But in those first few weeks, I remember thinking, “Please God, keep me out or harm’s way, especially now.”
Ironically, less than two weeks after my surgical procedure, my neighbor across the street, a retired prison transport officer and another serious gun guy, got the news that he would need rotator cuff surgery. For those unfamiliar with this procedure, it is extremely painful, and requires a much longer period of recovery (more like six months).
What these two stories illustrate is that anyone can suddenly find themselves, if only temporarily, with limited mobility. As a result, I carried a different (lighter) gun and holster during my recovery period. Since my neighbor’s surgery was on his right (shooting) shoulder, he had to make a more drastic compromise: He has to carry on his weak side, and shoot left-handed. Luckily, he has practiced this for many years, just as I have.
Being prepared has many facets…
