Older I get - the more I realize what I don't know.
I'm fifty-one. To be honest, and I have told many on this board in posts, thru PM, Email and landline, I really do not know a lot about a lot of stuff - including firearms and loads.
Heck in Tulsa, with some Members here, I shared , I have no friggin' idea what a _____is , I had one pointed out to me. I admit, don't have idea how the MOA is, hand me something I have never handled, and I am going to ask you to show me everything about how it works and how to make safe.
I do not care if this means a 8 year old girl with a purple/ pink rifle, or a older person with a Mil-Surp, or a Person with Blackpowder.
I do not feel bad, stupid, ashamed or nothing, just being honest. Honest some more is, I do not really care about some things, and it means nothing to me to know there is about everything.
I went thru that phase as a kid with Cars...fishing reels, some guns, and other material stuff.
It is no big deal and I for sure ain't either.
Somethings I do know about, I know about. I mean this is what interests me, what I have experiences in and what I pass forward to others.
I can tell if someone is blowing smoke to impress themselves - even if I have no friggin' idea of the genre', be it guns, furniture, types of carpet, whatever.
Then again I can be as dumb as a brick - when I know the subject , and let another make a fool of themselves.
A well known shooter and I were shooting shotguns. Acually we were piddling with some, shooting from the hip , just goofing off. Some fella offered to give us lessons. We thanked him and said we were just having fun and someday if we wanted to "be as good as him" we would consider getting lessons.
Well known shooter and I had just 50/50 at skeet. Same fella and I for fun have limited out on doves shooting from the hip...one reason were were "goofing off" and shooting from the hip. Limit is 15 doves, shooters get 15 shells, the game is whom gets the most doves with the fewest shells fired.
I've taken 15 doves with 11 shells. Well known shooter beat me with only using 10.
Heck we hunted birds/doves using only single shot shotguns, it was about the people, the dogs, the kids , especially the kids for the first time out.
See I never cared about wanting to be a "wannabe" - still don't. Folks do not understand this.
Then again these folks do not understand why I get all worked up watching a kid's face light up, shooting a shotgun, felling that first dove, outrunning the dog to get it. They do not understand why I get a lump in my throat, watching a grandpa help a little grandkid shoot a shotgun or .22 rifle he is passing on. Why that grandkid I have to take out and let shoot, take on a first hunt, grandpa did not live long enought to do so , and I promised.
Life is too short for me worry about stuff not important, and waste energies on stuff that is important to me.
Heck I have no need to impress anyone, especially me. I respect and admire those that know a genre' and can share history , preserve it in works, pictures and sharings.
I was younger once , and had great Mentors. All thru my life I have had great folks to share with me.
I went thru phases of having to limit out on fish, or game, or know the names of all the cars, anything.
Mentors let me develop, and go thru stages, all the while passing forward.
Firearms, we did not have all the choices we have today. I am still using, and prefer the choices that fit me, for my tasks going back 40 yrs.
If I want to call it a 12 bore I will. Just how raised. Lever action meant a Savage, Winchester , or Marlin. Little critter is a 28 ga, Littlest Critter a .410.
Coke means a Coca Cola , RC, SevenUp, Dr. Pepper, or ...
Older I get, the more I realize, and appreciate more, what is important - and what ain't.
I am becoming more like my Mentors, this is a good thing.
Mentors always said a person got a right to make a fool of themselves and no matter if you try to stop them, they are gonna continue on until they do so.
"Don't meddle, unless a safety matter, quicker they make a fool of themselves, quicker they get it out their system, and the quicker we ain't got to put up with that nonsense...
reason we fire folks, and have nothing to do with some, these are the ones that'll find something to be a fool about".
steve