Kevin didn’t know what to make of us. That was clear.
He eyed the 11 suburban moms clad in Sperrys, slurping Stanleys, arriving to shoot, with suspicion. No doubt, firearms instruction had never looked so fetch. (And I think this blew his mind a bit.)
Most moms’ days out are spent at spas. We opted for the shooting range. Rumor has it, the Second Amendment isn’t just for guys. It extends to girls, too.
So, on a sunny November Saturday, our book club braved a new world. We ventured to Live Fire Training Academy in Cottageville to learn, well, how to shoot a gun.
And it was so empowering.
Like, I have hiked through Iceland with just a girlfriend, driven stick shift through Israel, and given birth four times. But this ranked.
We were 11 girl bosses owning the range.
Now, before you come at me, let me stress: Safety was paramount. As it should be. Elisabeth Garner (our certified instructor) exhaustively explained everything. Literally. Everything. From mechanics to marksmanship to magazine ammo, Elisabeth covered it. Single action shot v. double action shot? We are now experts. By the end, we were nearly Navy Seal sniper-level trained. Well, in our hearts.
Confession: Before Live Fire, I mainly sourced my firearms info from James Bond (movies). Granted, Daniel Craig does know his way around a gun. (And a suit.) But, so does Kevin from Live Fire Training Academy. I can’t speak to the suit, but Kevin’s knowledge of firearms stems from his impressive service in the Army and police force.
What he lacks is the Queen’s English: The afternoon’s range instruction was in bloody American English. Only my lovely friend Sallyann would have qualified for MI-6. She is a killer shot, improved only by her accent. She’s like a weaponized Lady Grantham.
Actually, that’s not entirely fair. There were quite a few good shots among the near dozen of us — it surprised us; it empowered us. We were like Charlie’s Angels, but with kids and stretch marks and a 9:00 p.m. bedtime.
Side Note: I would be SO remiss to not give a shout-out to the invaluable Palmetto State Armory. Not only does their Summerville site offer an indoor shooting range (helpful for beginners), but each of their locations are stocked with friendly, firearms experts who equipped many of us for the day at the range.
*Bonus* It was like Disneyland for my boys, whose testosterone levels spiked just by walking through the door. They spent no less than 90 minutes in Outdoor Recreation talking bait with Gus, a grizzled Santa Claus-like employee who was a fishing savant. Five out of five stars for Palmetto State Armory.
Back to the range . . .
At the end of our day, clearly confounded by the gaggle of us, Kevin ventured, “So, what do you girls do?”
The sunlight glinted off our Glocks, haloing our empowered faces. We replied, “We’re just moms!” But now we are moms who can shoot. And this was better than a day at the spa.
PSA: cue “Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson and head to the shooting range with your mom friends.
“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.” Proverbs 31.25
