A Late Call

I work the night shift Fridays and Saturdays. I tend a 1740's period tavern, and I'm there from about 5:30 till 12:30. I leave my phone on silent, as a ringing cell wouldn't exactly be period correct, but I check it about every half hour, as I have a kid at home, and I want to be in the loop if the wife needs me for something. I got a call from her around 9:15 tonight, which is highly unusual. She normally texts me around 9:30, wishes me goodnight, and I kiss her when I get home at about 12:40.

A call from her sets off warning bells.

I nodded to the other bartender, and told him I had to check a call. I went out back and called my wife, and she told me that she was in the shower and heard our dog bark, so she wrapped a towel around herself and turned on the porch light and checked the peephole. There were two guys standing on the porch.

They appeared to be two college-age white dudes. Hipster-types. Didn't look like they were up to no good, more like they were looking for a party, and found the wrong house. She flicked the light off, grabbed the kiddo and the dog, and holed up in the bedroom. She got one of my revolvers down, and called me. The guys left before she got settled in the bedroom. The porch light going off was obviously hint enough for them.

She assured me that she was fine, and told me I didn't need to come home, and the confidence in her voice assured me that everything was OK, but the whole incident has made me wonder.

I'm very strongly 2A. I was raised around guns, and I love them for a multitude of reasons, but today I'm glad I had one loaded, accessible to my wife, and that I've taken the time to take her to the range and show her how THAT PARTICULAR GUN functions. She's shot it before, and knows how it works. She's actually a pretty decent shot, considering how infrequently she goes to the range. But she knew where the gun was, how it shoots and loads, and what to expect from it. And that empowered her enough to feel safe and comfortable in a weird situation.

Know your weapons people. Practice with them. Keep them available for when you need them. Make sure others in your house know the weapon and how to use it. Be in control when your world slides sideways. It may help you get through a scary situation like it did for my wife. Or it may just save your life.

I think I'll ask my wife if she wants to start making range trips with me.