Mid-Life Crisis? Paranoia?

[Mr_Tom]

I have another little one in tow(well still in a carriage). I'm also quickly approaching 40, soon. An incident at LV Mall, proved to me predicting 'nothing will happen' isn't as easy as it use to be. I use to be able to run, stay out bad areas(now everywhere seems bad), use a knife well enough to make bad guys think about another target, etc. Well now with children, it appears I was targeted. So I carry a firearm now, with LTCF, all the time. Wifey is concerned, something is wrong, like past life experiences resurfacing...?

Anyone else getting crooked looks from their spouses? How have you handled it?

Tom

[PA Rifleman]

... Well now with children, it appears I was targeted....

It appears this is the key statement. Can you provide more details?

[knighthawk06699]

I have another little one in tow(well still in a carriage). I'm also quickly approaching 40, soon. An incident at LV Mall, proved to me predicting 'nothing will happen' isn't as easy as it use to be. I use to be able to run, stay out bad areas(now everywhere seems bad), use a knife well enough to make bad guys think about another target, etc. Well now with children, it appears I was targeted. So I carry a firearm now, with LTCF, all the time. Wifey is concerned, something is wrong, like past life experiences resurfacing...?

Anyone else getting crooked looks from their spouses? How have you handled it?

Tom

My misses used to give me grief about it. The I took her shooting and now she does not care one bit. She does not even blink an eye anymore when I OC. She expects it and understands it to be a necessary tool for self and family protection. So take her shooting, teach her and let her know that a sidearm has become a necessary tool for self defense.

[Mr_Tom]

This is trivial, since we weren't hurt(amen), but here is the quick story. Leaving LV Mall, I was walking with my wife, and our son in a stroller. We were instantly noticed by three men. This was in the daytime. I felt, after a delay, 'marked' and looked back. The three men were behind us, and two instantly stopped. The third, didn't. I talked with the wifey and watched in the car windows for his distance. When I got to the car, I normally open the doors for others and get in last. I looked back again, and the third guy was closer(looking real pissed off), and the other two were now slowly catching up. I instantly got to the driver's door and retrieved 'something', and stared right at the closest man. He stopped, looked back at his 'buddies', looked back at me angry, then waved me off(like shooing some flies), and walked back to his group.

A man walking(at best a medium build) with a woman, and a baby in a stroller, must have looked like an easy mark. I didn't use any weapons, but at that moment I had to appear 'armed' and 'aware' of their intentions to become less of a target.

Having had 'dusted', drunk, and hate filled people jump me, I understand relying on a bad person's commonsense, or will to not get harmed, doesn't always work. So options are necessary.

tom

[shefearsnothing]

I am asked constantly why I feel the need to carry and it has even been suggested that it will be inconvenient to carry/that I will tire of it. My response is that it would be a hell of a lot more inconvenient to bury any of the members of my family and I hope my family feels it would be inconvenient to bury me as well. I have been a victim of a violent crime in the past and I remind myself every day that crime can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. I don't think that's paranoia at all. It's the reality of the world we live in. We have not as a society let it be known that we won't tolerate this crap and so it continues to go on. People know criminal activity is wrong. That isn't the problem. It's the constant handing out of "milk and cookies" instead of an actual real fitting punishment that gives criminals the mindset that they can continue to live a life of crime. Our "justice system" is sending the wrong message so I say to people, I'm not paranoid at all, of course I'm going to protect myself! Even if I am victimized then I have to worry that someone is going to screw up the investigation and the perp gets off on some technicality or something stupid like that...but that's another subject entirely....

[Pa. Patriot]

My wife would think I was ill if I did not have a firearm on

[ham385]

If you figure out how to ease her concerns, please share. I have the same issues with my wife, and I don't even own a handgun. She's freaked out by the rifles and shotguns in the safe.

[fingers80002]

That's one of the reasons I have an x,and she lives in TX!

[King 5.45]

Everything changed the first time that we were out together and someone got rather stupid with us. Ever since then, she's been well past simply understanding, and has been teetering back and forth about the idea of getting her own LTCF, to make some of our situations (who can and can't still be in the car alone and where, etc.) that much easier.

[knighthawk06699]

My wife would think I was ill if I did not have a firearm on

Yep mine to!!!!