I’m Glad It Was There
My dad taught me how to shoot his .357 magnum when I was 9 years old. I knew it wasn’t a toy and never touched it. He kept it loaded in his nightstand. We lived out in the country and one night when I was 17 years old I had come home early from a date because I didn’t feel good. This was before 911 existed.
I took my dog and went to bed. I was awoken by two things. 1. I heard somebody trying to get in the back door (inside of the garage) and 2. My dog was growling. It woke me up so suddenly realizing that my dog wouldn’t growl if it was my parents and that I hadn’t heard our electric garage door go up.
I ran down the hall, grabbed the gun and of course the phone was by the door in question. Just as I got within 4 feet of the back door I saw the doorknob turn and the door started to open. When it did I was face to face with a young man with my dad’s gun aimed squarely at him. He took off running. It turned out that he had broken into our nearest neighbors house the night before. That gun probably saved my life and I am thankful I didn’t have to use it but glad it was there.
