Hi Folks

[7th Stepper]

Hi all, I'm new here, and I'm going to do my best not to come off as an idiot. I've been lurking for a while now, to see what is, and isn't proper etiquette, so that I don't break any rules or hurt anyone's feelings. I've waited to post till my best friend and mentor BOR felt I was ready to jump in and start participating. With his blessing, I'm here! Yea! First, a few things you should know about me, I haven't touched a computer in years, so I'm kinda rusty. 2nd, I was very ill back in 08 & 09, and one of the things that I lost during that period of time was my ability to spell, which I wasn't very good at to begin with. So please bear with me and if you sound out the word out phonetically, u'll usually be able to understand what I'm trying to say. I do text tho, so that's where a lot of my shortcuts come from. Nuf said about me for a while.You'll learn more as u go, I hope. BOR has accomplished a miracle with me, he has taken a total anti-gunner (that's a new phrase) and turned me into a very pro 2nd Amendment activist. I went from hating guns, to now being in the process of getting my own carry license, and my own gun of choice. Probably a Walther P22. like the one I've been practicing with at the range. More than that is too much gun for me. I'm disabled, and can't risk any damage from what I guess u'd call a "kick back" to my already rather frayed back. The P22 is perfect for me tho, so all is not lost. I'm eloquent in my own way, but do not claim to be anywhere near as knowledgeable as BOR is, but with the fine art of being an active listener, and his being a good teacher, I've made great progress from when this all started. I attended my first Appleseed on May 7th, and had an absolutely great time! ATM. u are a great and wonderfully funny person, (that's a compliment!) and I totally enjoyed not only your company, but your method of instruction in how to fire a loaded rifle. You made it fun to learn, even if I could only do so from the sidelines. The instructors were awesome, and the "Three Strikes of the Match" was fascinating, and not something I remember ever learning in any grade, of any school I was ever in. (of course back in those days, we rode our dinosaurs to & from school, barefoot, uphill all the way....LOL) It's a shame they didn't to my knowledge teach more about it back then, and I don't think they even gloss over it in school these days. Our daughter graduated from HS a few years ago, and it was a sad case of "Paul who? Wasn't he one of the Beatles??" I kid you not! she is however "not a gun person" at the moment, and isn't even interested in learning. I chose my name on here because I can if nothing else on Appleseed, be a "Blue Hat" and take the 7th Step, by spreading the word about such a wonderful organization, and spreading the word about INGO as well! I already have several people interested in attending an Appleseed, so I'll be passing out pamphlets & books galore, to anyone I can back into a corner and tell them all about it, without risking their escaping my excitement about the whole thing! INGO is a wonderful place, full of knowledgeable people, who can teach those of us who don't know squat, what we should and shouldn't be concerned about, and just rights we do or don't have, and those that are slowly being taken away from us by the politicians who claim to represent us. I spent most of my life ignoring politics, boy was that a mistake! Now I sit back and wonder just what it was that possessed me to elect such incompetent nincompoops into positions that tell us what we can, or can't do, regardless of what the original Constitution said, or didn't say. I'll be the first one to admit I was an ostrich, with my head stuck squarely in the sand pretending it wouldn't or didn't affect me. Wrong again! At this point, it's a dye job, but I swear sometimes I wonder if I used to be what's known as "Blond to my DNA". With BOR's gentle help & guidance, and constant coaching, I've begun to almost understand what I should have been taught as I was growing up. (and almost is stretching it, he's by FAR more knowledgeable than I ever was, or could be, bar none). We've also mastered the art of "agreeing to disagree", and respect each others rights and thoughts about what we do or don't think should be happening in the world right now. I have a long way to go, but with all the good people on here, especially the Mods, I fully intend to learn as much as I can, to better protect myself from those who seem determined to lump me into a category of sheep, and herd me into whatever direction "they" think is appropriate, regardless of what I think or know. I cringe when I look back and see all the blind following I've been doing over the years, that I could have done differently and maybe, just maybe, changed the outcome of what is happening to us now. I know who they were kidding, I just don't understand why I allowed myself to be led down the proverbial "primrose path", with blinders on, never once wanting to take them off and see for myself what slaughter I was being led into. Here I intend to learn, and learn as much as necessary, and possible, to be able to make a better, more informed, more intelligent, decision on who I do, or don't want representing me in a Government that I feel oversteps it's bounds now, by leaps and bounds! Oh, and as a last but not least bit of info on me, I don't "bash". insult, judge, or make rash opinions of people I don't know, just because they don't happen to think the same way I do. That's not my place, nor my job. I'm entitled to my opinion, just as they are to theirs, but theirs stops just short of causing me any undue stress over what they think or say, that offends, insults, or generalizes people, just because they are, or seem to be, think, or act differently than I would. They're just as entitled to their beliefs as i am, and as I once heard said by a very wise woman, "never throw stones if you live in a glass house'. I look forward to learning far more than I ever imagined I would or could be interested in, on a subject that prior to this board, I thought was "taboo", because "guns are bad, only the govt should have control over who does or doesn't have a right to them. Boy was I misled! Oh, and lest I forget, AuntieBellum, you're one awesome woman! I could tell you were honest and sincere from the moment I met you. ATM, please say "HI" to your mom for me, and tell her that I look forward to many more interesting conversations with her at future Appleseed Shoots. She and I get to chat more than most there, as we're both on the proverbial "sidelines" and have an easier time of concentrating on conversing, than those who have the opportunity to learn how to shoot, and to do so under some of the greatest instructors I've ever met. And to YellowHouseJake, it was an honor to meet you Sir,, I hold you in high esteem! Oh, and ATM, remember, I'll expect to hear the "RawHide" theme from you at the next shoot, you are truly an inspiration! "May the light at the end of your tunnel, always be one of hope!" That I guess is my new signature, and applies to everyone here. 7th Stepper

 

[gunman41mag]

W E L C O M E to I N G O

 

[Bill of Rights]

to !

(and y'all thought *I* typed long posts! )

Blessings,
Bill

 

[HandK]

Welcome to INGO, glad your here.

 

[sartwell]

from New Haven.

 

[rbrthenderson]

from Ft. Worth!

 

[indykid]

Welcome to the group!

 

[JohnP82]

to INGO

 

[ATM]

My first 1000 posts combined did not contain that many words!


Welcome, 7th Stepper. It was an honor to meet you and I'm glad you were stirred to join us in the Appleseed mission as well as here on

(Just watch out for the banhammer - some of the MODs here are muy loco. )



...and by the way, your description of those BST sammiches still lingers sweetly in my mind...

See ya!

 

[Bigum1969]

 

[HotPocket]

 

[Mosineer]

aboard!!!Glad you joined INGO!!!!

 

[2cool9031]

Welcome to INGO...from Chesterton! Bad speller here too!

 

[b0Rn~c0nfus3d]

2 !!!

 

[kinorton]

to , now that is a first post.

 

[Fireaxes]

Wow, my eyes hurt. Welcome.