I agree with you Dave as they bring it on themselves. Don’t get me wrong I’m not overwhelmed with anger but it does irritate me when I think back. Not something that crosses my mind regularly. Usually comes to mind there’s a discussion like this one
2 Likes
Your reference to freezing like a possum reminds me of the book Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes-And Why. Some people do completely freeze. My favorite story is a wreck of a ferry boat on the Black Sea (?). One man crawled into the life boat under the tarp that covered it. He just laid in the bottom of the boat. I don’t remember what ultimately happened to him.
The book is a fascinating and easy read. Highly recommended.
2 Likes
I don’t know if I’m just strange or what but during a crisis whether it be with my kids or myself I have always been able to take action. But then when the crisis is over that is when I fall apart
3 Likes
I believe preparedness is the most preferred reason for EDC, but situations like the Kenosha riots etc. do instill some fear in every law-abiding-citizen. No one I know wants to be yanked from their car and beaten to a pulp or worse. That said, I think the biggest “fear” is having to use your weapon in self defense. Not only are you about to take someones life, but the ensuing legal sh** storm has the potential of destroying your family and bankrupting you. This, all because some lawless idiot is in love with the idea of anarchy (that is until he/she gets shot, then he/she invokes the “law”). Add to the mix over zealous, woke lawyers…
Its a dilemma.
5 Likes
Just sayin; I never use my weapon to take someone’s life. It is always to stop the threat to innocent lives. I feel justified in doing that.
5 Likes
…pardon the wording. Stop the threat. But the possibility is real that someone could die, hopefully not me, or you.
4 Likes
Thanks Sinbad. Interesting. I just now ordered it for free through a local library. Looking forward to it. Fun.
1 Like
I think for me, the Will Smith quote from the movie After Earth is very applicable:
“Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is the product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist. That is near insanity. Now do not misunderstand me, danger is very real, but fear is a choice.”
I choose to be aware of danger; I choose to not let fear rule my life.
7 Likes
Years ago I had some X-rays that showed stuff on my lungs. Doctor was very concerned and scheduled MRI scans etc. I stopped by a friends house a few days later and told him what was happening and we talked about guns etc. like we always do. About 5 minutes in he said, You sure seem awful calm for someone who may have cancer. I replied- What am I supposed to do? Cry or start dieing now? Whatever happens is going to happen. I’ll deal with it as it comes.
We all started dieing the day we were born. Fear just keeps you from enjoying the trip from point A to point B. Parachuting, motorcycles or climbing the rocks at Red Rocks Colorado are the rewards for controlling your fears.
13 Likes
I say Amen to your post James. Goes back to song I know by Tim McGraw that carries meaning for me. In 2000 I had a close brush my self. Docs were talking about different things that could be done. I told my VA Doc I was still the Cpt of this ship. In prayer I asked for 1 good year instead of 5 miserable ones. If I had followed their treatment Recs I would not have made 1. I was blessed with many years more I believe that was intervention from above. Not taking my self so seriuos these days eating right. Never have been a smoker. Hope you have many more years. Blessings to you 
4 Likes
As Mark Twain said, "I’ve had a long life and many problems, many of which never happened. "
4 Likes
Not sure I can agree,
Ever been held at gunpoint?
Or been in the process of drowning?
Fear can definitely exist in the present.
I think those situations would qualify as “danger, [which] is very real.”
1 Like
Fear exists n all men. The difference between a man and a coward isn’t that presence of fear, it’s how that fear is handled. You either let it control you or you control it. There are NO other choices. And yes, I’ve seen fear. Many many moons ago I looked down the barrel of a Colt Python (cocked!) in the hand of a psychiatric patient who was on site to “kill that dam$ Dr.” No fun.
6 Likes
Apparently you made a good choice. Is there anything you wish you did different?
I think fear is always present. How we act to it is always case by case. We can in for thought try to preprogram how we deal with it. It is what it is when it rears its head
1 Like
I read this book and I think it will answer most of your questions.
2 Likes
In my 24 years of military service & a few short years in law enforcement I have discovered that it’s not just flight or fight but also freeze. Some LEOs, even, are shot because they simply freeze. The best remedy for fear is training under high stress circumstances. You become much more aware of how you personally will react.
This is a great topic & one that the military adressed with blunt force back in the 70s & 80s when I was active in special forces before I broke my back in six places. I’m lucky in that I know what I personally am capable of because I’ve done it. The down side is it took a toll on me that didn’t really surface until I entered law enforcement. After a few years, I had to be honest with myself & realize that I did not have the temperament for domestic violence calls and child related crimes. I would have homicidal thoughts towards certain offenders & most likely would have acted on one eventually. After years of PTSD counseling & continued mental heath care (Which I am very proud to own) I have a much healthier outlook on life. Long story short, of course.
10 Likes
I’ll just say, I know how I will react.
1 Like