Guac or Glock? That is the question.

I don't know about you, but avocado's were never a favorite food of mine in my youth. I watched my parents gloat over every slice when both my sister and I turned down their offer to share the mushy green fruit/vegetable. (That's just fine, girls, that leaves more for us!")

As I got older and attended parties in high school, guacamole dip (fondly referred to as "guac" by connoisseurs) was often displayed attractively in the center of a lettuce bowl, or a circle of cherry tomatoes, or on a 70's style stoneware platter of matching color, artfully surrounded by machine-cut tortilla chips as kind of a party standard. I avoided it for years.

It was a momentous occasion when I tried "guac" on one of those perfect triangles of baked cornmeal. And oh my, it was love at first lick, and I have never gone back to plain, unadorned tortilla chips since, or tacos, or quesadillas, or enchiladas, or any food remotely Mexican.

There's something about peer pressure that allows us to step out of our comfort zone, or forces us to. It's so much easier (and sometimes safer) to just blend in. Such was the case with guacamole dip in my early teens. I had to leave the comfort of the anti-avocado group and take a risk with the experimental-food group, I had to break loose and be bold! As an adult (over 30), it was fish. As a mature adult (over 50), it was lamb, mussels, oysters, sushi, antelope, and....well, I could go on but no one would ever want to risk eating at my house again. It's been so fun to branch out and experience new things, to have friends who would encourage me to step just outside of my comfort zone - not too far, but far enough.

And it's not just food. I have been a gun hater since childhood. Fear and lack of knowledge were probably the motivation behind my passionate hatred. I didn't want one, I didn't want anyone in my family to have one, I forbade them from my house, I even tried to keep my boys away from toy guns. I was a zealot anti-NRA gal. You would think I had never seen Charlton Heston with his shirt off and all oiled up.

Which brings me to Glocks - not to be confused with Crocs, the sensational plastic phenomenon of brightly colored, cheap-to-make, dangerous-on-escalators, completely-non-supportive, orthopedically-challenged, but relatively expensive "shoes" that seem to be on everyone's feet these days. The fact that I know what a Croc is has no relation to my owning a pair, I do not...and will not. The fact that I know what a Glock is, has no relation to my owning one, I do not...yet.

I have come to love shooting - at a target. It's relaxing. It requires focus. It allows your mind to leave everything else behind and zoom in on that target in the near or far distance, depending on what you are shooting. You are competing against no one but yourself. It's liberating in some way. It's good for the soul. (yes, to all the anti-gun folks, it is, in it's own unique way).

I have not tried hunting yet. I honestly don't know how I will feel about it. I do know that if I hunt, I won't just kill for sport, I will eat the meat...which, of course, leads into the obvious question. "Really, Jeannie, and how do you plan to do that, with skin and bones and muscle and etc in tact? Or, do you plan to straddle the animal and skin it yourself?" Uhmm, the answer to both questions is an unequivocable "no". Which leads to the next obvious question, "then who in the world is gonna take you hunting AND be willing to skin something you might actually (in a moment of focused concentration) hit?" I have no idea. Let's go back to Guac or Glock, it's a much easier question. My life is too complicated to spend much time on difficult questions right now.

I love the outdoor shooting range (no Crocs there, by the way). I enjoy the fresh air, the equalizing factor that "packing" brings with it. It doesn't really matter what kind of jeans you are wearing, or if you drove up in a broken down truck or snazzy convertible; if you are walking onto that range with guns and ammo (appropriately, safely, respectfully), you are in the brotherhood (or sisterhood, as it were). My favorite outdoor range (so far) is just outside of Silver City, NM. I just love those guys and gals. They are always eager to help me learn a new technique, improve my skills, encourage me to try something new and tease me with some huge gun or rifle that I am in no way prepared to shoot. I am, however, the proud owner of THREE guns now, none of them a Glock...but yeah, you read that right. THREE. Two pistols and a rifle. I told you, I love to shoot!

In fact, I think I will go shooting this weekend, and maybe even take some chips and guac for the range folks.

And when I go hunting someday, maybe I will carefully pack avocados and make guacamole for my hunting companions! You just never know what a woman might take with her on a hunting trip (and yes, I know I have to carry my own stuff, and yes, I know this is why men don't WANT women on their hunting trips (for the most part) UNLESS of course they are hand picked "camp cooks").

Ok, back to serious stuff. Now, what was the question? Guac or Glock? Hmmm.

I love stepping out of my comfort zone, taking a calculated risk, and forcing myself to not just be part of the crowd and blend in. It's so much fun and so good for me! I am, after all, a redhead. I have never blended in very well. Never really wanted to. Now let's see....guac green and glock black. Them's huntin colors, right?!

Question answered! Problem solved!

Guns.N.Roses "Sweet Child O'Mine"