My first OC experience...

[87th PVI]

Knowing that there would be others OCing at the Phil Kline workshop yesterday gave me the motivation (ok courage) I needed to OC for the first time myself.
I've casual concealed before and I have planned to OC to the meet & greet on the 28th ever since that was announced, but the workshop popped my cherry a little early. I've been wanting to try it & yesterday, I didn't want to be the only one wearing clothes at the nude beach so to speak.

So... As I was getting dressed I got "the look" from my wife as I threaded the belt through the holster instead of going IWB as usual. I said "What?" & got the eye roll.

I live on an intersection and my truck was parked across the street just in the next block, so as I was crossing the intersection to my truck, there was a kid driving a very loud multi-colored (blue, red & grey primer) Honda sitting at the stop sign. I crossed in front of him and he turned on to the street where my truck was parked. As he passed by me I noticed he was breaking his neck looking at me while he drove by.
I thought, "OMG! I didn't even make it to my friggin truck!" These other people say most people don't even notice & here I can't even get 50 yards from my house! Maybe my wife has reason to give me the eye roll!

I then pick up my friend who was attending the workshop with me. He's been a gun owner for the past 20 years, and since I grew up in a house without guns, he was the one who introduced me to shooting 20 years ago.
Anyway, he gets in the truck & said something to the effect of Whoa man! can you do that? (can't remember exact wording but you get the gist) I explained about OC & LTCF & CC yadda yadda yadda. He said Damn, I've owned guns 20 years & carried for 10 years (but let his LTCF lapse about 10 years ago) & I never knew it was legal to OC!

When we got to Hellertown, we were hungry and were going to run to MCDonalds before the workshop. To be completely honest, with it being my first time & all...I was a little nervous about going in somewhere OCing alone. When Greg said he'd ordered pizza and was collecting money towards it, I thought MMMM Pizza with a bunch of other OCers at a gun range sounds so much better than Mickey Dees... I'm in!

Fast forward to dinner after the workshop

So a group of us went to this really nice Scottish themed place for dinner afterward. As we are driving throught the packed parking lot my friend is reading the Obama bumper stickers to me with a chuckle in his voice.

As we walk to the door, I say to Pa Patriot "hey I saw some Obama bumper stickers in the parking lot... we're not going to get hassled in here are we?"
His reply. "I've never been hassled anywhere." Me: Rich: "Oh yeah well there was that one time"

I took a deep breath & walked in with the group. We were seated & had a wonderful time and some very good food. No hassle no problems good times for all.

After the meal some went home & some of us decided to hang out for more socializing. We moved through the dining area in a pretty much single file line due to the layout of the tables and I was just paying attention to Shooter357 because he & I were still chatting as we walked. My friend was bringing up the rear of the group at this time...

I had leftovers that I wanted to stoe in the truck while we hung out after dinner. As I walk out of the resturaunt and start down the sidewalk what is the first car to pass me? Yep, a cop. & guess what? He just drove right past me & nothing happened.

After about a half hour of hanging out with a smaller group of the guys & gal who didn't have to rush home immediately after dinner, we all called it a night & all went our separate ways.

On the drive home, my friend asked me if I noticed the reactons of the other patrons in the restraunt. I said, "not really why?"
He said that as we were walking out, he was watching the other people and he said the couple at the one table had the following exchange as he passed them at the rear of our line...
woman somewhat whispers across table to man: "Why are all those guys carrying guns?"
man whispers back: "I was wondering the same damn thing."

My friend said he also noticed some others looking at our waists & getting wide eyed.

I was just having too good a time chatting with some very nice people to notice any of that.

After I dropped my friend off at his place, I stopped at the Sheetz to fill the tank (two hour drive each way & I was curious as to how much gas I used since I normally only drive the truck on short trips around my local area) I paid at the pump & proceeded home.


Got home & the wife was waiting for me. (only the second time we've been away from each other that long since our first date on April 27, 2001... yes she even comes in to work to have lunch with me most days... people think we're wierd so go ahead make fun I'm used to it )

I ask if she wants to hear about my 1st day of OC & she puts her hand on her forehead & says do I really want to know? (now keep in mind this is a woman who told me that she was going to OC to Venice Pizza with me on the 28th! She brought it up too, I said I was going to & she said she would too since she'd be in a group of people who were mostly all going to be doing it... peer pressure can be your friend LOL)
I laugh & go through the day... I get sighs and shaking head & hand on forehead at all the points starting with crossing the street out front to the obama bumper stickers & the cop on main street etc...& when I get to the gas station, she exclaims "you pumped gas with that thing hanging out?" I said um yeah... you act like I had my penis out or something! She said well you might as well have! So there you have it folks, I have my wife's permission to expose myself... don't think I'll take her up on that one though.

I lightened her mood by joking... what are you now? One of Jah's kids picking on me with "wadda ya doin!? Put dat ting away deys kids in here!"
We laughed & things went back to "normal" for the rest of the evening.


Anyway, thanks to all who went out to dinner last night & also to Phil and the attendees of the workshop. I had a wonderful day!

[Paradigm]

Kudos to you, man!

[Spishack357]

Good stuff there man. I gotta start OCing as well...

[Neo31rex31]

Glad to hear everything went well!

[jcabin]

What is "Casual Conceal"?

[Mrs. Pa Patriot]

Originally Posted by 87th PVI

As we walk to the door, I say to Pa Patriot "hey I saw some Obama bumper stickers in the parking lot... we're not going to get hassled in here are we?"
His reply. "I've never been hassled anywhere." Me: Rich: "Oh yeah well there was that one time"

You've already been warned about going ANYWHERE w/ him...you are on your own. Sorry I missed meeting you in person.

[headcase]

Originally Posted by jcabin

What is "Casual Conceal"?

Pull your shirt over it and if it is printing or sticking out, you don't care.....

[XD40coyote]

I guess I was casual concealing today. Darn wind kept blowing my vest open. Should have just taken the vest off, as the wind blowing open was akin to me feeling extra dirty, like I was flashing my gun. I just couldn't bring myself to do it though. HELP!

[CommonHighrise]

Originally Posted by XD40coyote

I guess I was casual concealing today. Darn wind kept blowing my vest open. Should have just taken the vest off, as the wind blowing open was akin to me feeling extra dirty, like I was flashing my gun. I just couldn't bring myself to do it though. HELP!

Whenever that happens to me when I have a light jacket or unbuttoned shirt on I give myself a mental eye roll and wait for a tumbleweed to blow by. Unless someone goes bugeyes/neckbreak when it happens. Those are small personal victories in 'cool'*.

OP, glad your first OC experience went well. Just dont confuse your right to openly display a weapon, and openly displaying the "boomstick". Would get you hassled for sure.

*for further information on the 60-second "cool", watch some Bill Engvallh standup.

[Pa. Patriot]

Originally Posted by Mrs. Pa Patriot

You've already been warned about going ANYWHERE w/ him...you are on your own. Sorry I missed meeting you in person.

Yeah, I'm just a big troublemaker