Should I Carry A Concealed Weapon During the Holidays?

The question “should I carry…” followed by any phrase I’ll always answer in the exact same way… “that depends” 🙂  It depends on you, your comfort level, and where you’ll be going.  Should you have a gun in your purse when going to a house full of kids? Maybe not.  Walking in and out of the mall parking lot after dark? Maybe so.  But maybe what we should also ask is “What steps can I take to not have to use my gun?”  So today we’re going to talk about

AWARENESS & AVOIDANCE.

4 Levels of Awareness.  There are 4 basic levels that you can be in at any given time:

1. UNAWARE
2. AWARE
3. ALERT
4. ALARM

Obviously if you went through life constantly at a state of Alert or Alarm, you’d have a nervous breakdown!  Your mind has to have a stimulus break sometimes and just relax.  Make sure you plan some relaxation time into your schedule as we head into what is for many a very hectic time of year.

One way to relax a little bit is to AVOID any questionable situations.  Did you know that 80% of crimes at WalMart happen in the parking lot?  With that knowledge you can AVOID going alone or going late at night, and yes, hold out for that up-close parking space.  And opt to park next to the Mini Cooper, not the white panel van with no windows!

Another way to AVOID trouble is to stay AWARE when you’re out. If you see someone coming towards you, don’t look at your feet or your phone, or fumble in your purse for your keys, instead, stand up straight and look them straight in the eye and say “Tom? oh, wow, I’m sorry, you look just like my cousin Tom!  That’s so strange!” and keep walking.  They now think that you can describe them and identify them, so they’ll probably leave you alone.

Also, don’t make yourself look like a target.  Put your shopping bags in the trunk, don’t leave your purse/iPod/laptop in the car, and don’t put all the big-screen TV and computer boxes out by the road on trash day so everyone can see what you have inside!  And one that I never understood when I was 16 and Mom wouln’t let me put my name on my license plate… please don’t advertise your kid’s names on the back of your car!  Someone just needs to shout out “hey Chelsea” or “hey are you Chelsea’s Mom” and you’ll drop your guard and stop just long enough for them to attack. 

Stay Safe!