I had a wonderful visit in Denton. Friends and family drove up from different parts of Dallas/Fort Worth for an unexpected send off dinner party.
I have shared so much of this process with you, that I hardly had a sense they were aware of it. Almost everyone was enthusiastic and excited for me.
But, with my depressive history, one family member pulled me aside to make sure I had not just given away all of my things to drive into the woods and knock myself off. That (not unreasonable) interpretation of my journey never occurred to me.
I felt so bad that she was so concerned, but not being in regular contact, I have to understand. My suffering has caused so much suffering in so many other people.
On the other hand, the complete irony of this unexpected parting gift from another family member had me stumbling for an appropriate response…
***
Update: For those of you who do want to carry a gun,this new iPhone app by Technomadia
will tell you the regulations for each state. (It actually covers all changes in state
regulations on a variety of issues.)
21 Comments
I’m planning to retire soon a plan to become a full time RVer. I have considered carrying a pistol for protection but wondered what permits I would need to drive around with it.
But then on the other hand, I trust God/the Universe/whatever to take care of me. Not sure what I’ll wind up doing about a gun at this point.
Thank you for sharing your adventures with us.
I’m sure you already know this but there are varying rules from state to state regarding carrying weapons. Please check those out so you don’t get stuck someplace.
As for the suprise send off – wow, that’s so cool!
Kari
What your well-meaning relative has given you is a problem, considering your destination. You cannot take a pistol across the Canadian border. You also cannot simply ship it home, as neither the mail, UPS, or, I suspect, any other carrier will touch it. Shipping a gun is a complicated thing, involving one gun dealer shipping it to another gun dealer.
So what do you do? It’s a nice gun, and with a little training it might give you some marginal feeling of security when you travel around the states.
Find someone to keep it for you before you leave town.
http://www.arcatapet.net/bobgiddings/North_to_Alaska/28May05.cfm
Bob
Ugh, I’m not feeling the warmth of the gift. I think it’s starting off very much on the WRONG foot. It goes back to a way of thinking about people. Just the thought that you may need it means you’re assuming someone may try to harm you, and starting your travels with that assumption will not lead to warm and happy experiences. As a single woman traveling along, I can understand the trepidation you may have about venturing off into the unknown. All we hear about in the news is all the terrible things that happen to people. These sources make it seems like evil, harmful people are everywhere. Fortunately, those horrible occurrences are actually incredibly rare, which is exactly what makes then “news” when they happen. Have trust in the road and humanity. They won’t let you down. I’m certain of it. I’m not saying life is all peaches and cream, but you’re just not going to come across anyone out there with intentions that need to be countered with deadly force. Not going to happen. You’re not traveling to Afghanistan, you’re traveling in one of the warmest, most giving lands in the world. So many people out there will be looking to help you out, you’ll see.
Besides, I have a very strong belief that something terrible is actually much MORE likely to happen when there’s a gun around, not less likely. It’s a false sense of security that could cause serious trouble.
I do understand the giver was only trying to help because they care and are worried about you. It’s your choice, but I would have thanked the well-meaning giver very much, and politely declined to accept it.
Thanks for the comments. I am getting ready to hit the road for the day.
As an update, I am NOT taking the gift.
Take care,
Jennifer
to bear or not to bear… i’d rather tiger, climb a tree to avoid a bad situation and enjoy the view!
for me, a pistol is a very strong statement of violence. though sometimes strong statements can also prevent thoughts from ever becoming action.
even so, i don’t think one could call a revolver a deterrant of violence. rather more of an accelerant than it is anything else – quickly testing a confrontation to its limits on whether or not it will continue into potentially lethal territory.
the two places i see violence as paying off is when someone wants something wrong and is willing to go to any means necessary to acomplish it. the other is when the contemplator of violence is impatient and would rather choose the easier way of force over reason.
there are many hidden rewards for those who travel down the tougher road, like not worrying about what will happen when you cross over into Canada
Grrr.. I too would be at a loss for response.
We were given the tip that wasp spray is an effective discreet defense tool. Shoots from afar, and good against wild animals and humans.. without causing irreversible harm.
May thanks for the plug on State Lines too
By the way, in the 11/9/09 post that you linked to in today’s post, you mention an incidendt involving “falling down naked in front of a crowd of laughing strangers. (It happened.)” If you ever have an uneventful day and you can’t think of what to blog about, well, that might make an interesting read. (grin)
Just stopping by to update ourselves on your journey!
Best wishes and safe travels! You’ve come so far.
Enjoy the moment!
Keep in touch…..
Oh gotta love THAT. How f’in brilliant to give a gift to someone who, I assume, has no formal training, permits, etc. I love the gun advocates out there, they’re so SMART!
More people are killed by their own relatives with their own firearms than by street violence. I’m not anti-gun and guess what, I do own one (guess who gave me mine? Yeah, my Dad, but only after he took me shooting many, many times).
In the 20-something years I’ve owned it, I have never, ever been in a situation where I even came close to feeling like I needed it. I’ve lived in shitholes, ghettos and been in BFE and not once have ever felt like it was time to pull that thing out and use it. I’ve contemplated getting rid of it because I hate having it around, I hate what it represents and the karma around it. But I know it would break my Dad’s heart so someday when he’s no longer around to ask about it I will.
I personally know Europeans who have made major trips around the world over and over again without a need to feel like they had to carry a pistol. It’s such a stupid American thing.
Agggh! So what did you do?
Hello Jennifer!
Congrats on the great party before the journey. I hope that some of the other gifts were more helpful. Like Bob said, carrying a gun across into canada isn’t smart (and illegal), so it’s equally smart to leave it in Texas.
Personally I would be at a loss for words too if someone was to give me that! oh my.
As one single gal to another, it’s better not to pack than to pack. I always think that if I carried a gun and the “bad guy” didn’t, he could take it from me and use it on me.
It’s like introducing a bad fate.
Good on you for leaving it at home.
Have a safe and happy journey, still following!!!!
Karyn
When my brother first asked me if I was traveling with “protection”, I thought he meant condoms:). I had never even thought to travel with a gun but being on the road as a solo woman does bring up certain fears for our family members. I decided to take it as a loving gesture from someone who cares about my welfare.
I hesitate to even respond because I know firearms are such an emotional issue for so many that it’s hard to really have much of a productive discussion sometimes. That said, I always like to have a spirited discussion on an issue on which reasonable people can disagree, sooo….
While I agree with Rene that giving a gun to someone with no training isn’t necessarily the best thing to do, I’m not in agreement that gun “advocates” are somehow any less “smart” than anyone else. I think, like most things, there are a wide range of people who own guns, dumb ones, smart ones, average ones, crazy ones, sane ones, etc.
I will agree, though, that many who get obsessed with the gun culture have an unhealthy attitude towards guns–almost to the point of fetishization. But the vocal gun culture isn’t representative of the vast majority of people who own guns.
I grew up around guns and that probably shaped my own views on guns as being nothing other than a very dangerous tool that requires a great deal of responsibility if one wants to own one.
My later experiences shaped my own and my wife’s decisions on carrying firearms, but that decision certainly isn’t a one-size-fits-all choice. We choose to keep firearms first and foremost out of a very real necessity due to my occupation (I’ve been threatened, and I’ve had one client murdered). We also choose to keep firearms because we enjoy target shooting and believe in self-reliance.
I like to think we’re responsible gun owners. (We’ve probably had more safety training then 99% of law enforcement officers out there.)But I certainly don’t think the gun ownership decision is right for everyone. And I certainly wish everyone that made a decision to own a gun understood the gravity of the scenario.
I think the bigger problem is cultural. People who have never been around firearms have a difficult time understanding those that grew up with them and those that used them as part of their lifestyle growing up. And the stereotype of the redneck gun owner is really contributing to further misunderstandings. Like most things, I think everyone would be better off if we first sought to understand without making snap judgments.
Japhy – I agree with what you’re saying about people who are anti-gun understanding the point of view of those who grew up around guns. On the flip side, though, please understand that some people who grew up around guns still disagree with their necessity. My family always owned guns, and my father took me hunting ever since I was able. The sight of a deer carcass hanging from a branch in the yard was just a regular part of my childhood. Then I entered the military and served in Iraq in the 90’s, so firearms were obviously part of my training. I’ve always been very comfortable around them.
That said, I still think carrying a pistol is entirely inappropriate, is almost never helpful, and has more of a potential to be harmful. I think that many people have a need to carry based on irrational fears brought on by the mass media. We have to trust that people are inherently good. Life brings us what we project and expect, and carrying a gun means we’re expecting something very bad.
Even if someone does end up in a situation where a gun could be helpful, well… knowing how to safely handle and use a gun and knowing when to use deadly force are two very different things. One never knows how they will handle a situation that requires deadly force unless they’ve been put in it (either for real, or in extensive training exercises). So there’s a good chance a pistol won’t help you even if it can.
Wow, were I family I would’ve sent you off with a CD or at least some clean undergarments.
Just use common sense and be as careful as you can. The reality is that worse can happen to you just trying to cross the street in the big city or small town than when traveling.
You made the right choice where the gun is concerned. Your family cares a great deal for you which is commendable, but firearms aren’t needed.
Besides. You’d really need a way higher caliber in Alaska on up to deal with the wildlife. Well, provided they let you carry it.
They check pretty vigorously for firearms at the Canadian/US border and it would suck to have your tripped stopped there for it. I know, my best friend and I were almost stopped for firearms there. We lied our asses off about it and made it through, but it was a close call. We never needed the gun.
Drive safe
Steve
japhy, i agree with what you’ve said.
a good friend of mine used to repo autos; he carried, makes sense. crazy stories… don’t get him going
though he sold his piece when he got out of the busines as there was no need for it amymore, but still owns a few rifles he uses to hunt with every season. makes a wicked venison stew, i’m tellin’ ‘ya!
tools are useful when applied correctly, do you see a pistol as a less than appropriate tool for a contenental traveler?
I was never a fan of guns (to put it mildly) until I owned property up in the mountains. Out in the country owning a weapon is common sense, for self-reliance and self-preservation. Dangerous wildlife situations are inevitable (rattlesnakes and bears in my part of the country). I am a spiritual person who believes in good karma and all that but I am also a practical solo female and I believe it is only common sense in this day and age (unfortunately) to have a way to defend yourself if necessary. I don’t believe owning a weapon makes it more likely you’ll come to harm. Yes, there is great responsibility and you have to get some training and know what you’re doing. But for me it’s strictly a peace of mind issue.
Dan–
I hope I didn’t give the wrong impression–I don’t think it’s only people uncomfortable with guns that are against them. There are certainly plenty of people that are very familiar with guns that do not believe in gun ownership. I do disagree with the assertion that people are inherently good, and that by expecting otherwise leads to poor result. I tend to believe people are people. Some are good, some are bad, most are somewhere in between.
I certainly don’t think, though, that everyone is out to harm someone. If that were the case I don’t think I’d ever leave the house. Unfortunately, though, it just takes one. And to me, I plan for that one, and hope for the best. It’s just like buying insurance–chances are it will never be needed, but we get it anyways, because the cost is so great if you don’t have it.
I do agree, though, that having a gun doesn’t necessarily mean it will be helpful. That’s why I think it’s every gun owner’s responsibility to get the appropriate training. Even then, though, that training doesn’t prove you will be able to use it when needed. It’s the best you can do though.
Funny story–everybody always talks about police officers being a good example of proper firearms knowledge and ownership. For many officers, though, the only time they ever practice with their sidearm is during their annual qualifications. At the local range I go to the owner laments when the police qualifying days come around because there is a surge of police that hit the range for the first time all year. He says he sees more rusted, ill cared for firearms, poor shooting, and terribly unsafe handling procedures that he has staff babysit them on the range because it gets so bad. (Of course I’m sure not all cops are like this, but it is an amusing anecdote, nonetheless)
A.S.–I think the decision to own and carry a firearm is best made by each individual, as only they know their own capabilities and comfort level. Generally, though, I am not a big fan of people who aren’t very familiar with the use of firearms throwing them in a glovebox and hoping for the best.
I am a Canadian woman who by lives by myself in a rural area surrounded by wildlife. I spend a lot of time out in the wild and I find it interesting reading all the comments about guns. Having spent some time travelling through the western states throughout the years, I would say that the gun topic is probably the thing that I’ve found most different between Canadians and Americans. I could never imagine owning a handgun, even if I was able to. I guess it really is part of whatever culture you grew up with as I’ve noticed that some of the comments here go back to whether or not guns were in the family when growing up. I too believe in intention and feel that having a gun is potentially asking for trouble. But, hey, I’m just a little canadian gal.
Enjoy Canada, Jennifer, and if you go to the kootenays, let me know, I’d love to meet you!
Nice looking revolver, I’ve got a 38 that I carry with me in my van (pertaining to state laws of course) since I have a concealed carry license. Nice blog! I found it thru RVher.com and I have posted a link to it on my vandwelling links page at faliaphotography.com. I’ve become a follower, I love finding pages of other female travelers. Oh! Thx for sharing the Technomadia iphone app! So great, just downloaded it. I’m thrilled
I’m glad you decided not to bring along the pistol. In seventeen years of RVing, the last eleven as full time RVers, we have never been in or around a situation where we thought we needed a gun to protect us. My husband is a retired police officer and gave away/sold his guns when we decided to travel full time. We wanted the freedom to cross international borders whenever we please and we have just always felt safe out here on the road. Use caution, don’t put yourself in a dangerous place and trust your instincts and you should be fine. Safe travels.