SHOT Show & Staying In Your Lane, 9 in 2019

I had an amazing Shooting Hunting & Outdoor Tradeshow (SHOT Show). It’s by no means a typical gun show or meet-up. I know many of you who follow me DREAM of getting to see SHOT Show, and I hope that happens for you! Yes, it’s fun, but it is about the business.

Unlike NRA Annual Meetings or Great American Outdoor Show which are based on the consumer, SHOT is where dealers examine offerings for their shops. Firearms and even mainstream media collect content and ideas. Many manufacturers and distributors write orders for the year. So, yes, there are parties and fun events, but deals, connections, and sales are the focus.

My first SHOT was back in the ’90s in Atlanta. I was a soldier with the Army Marksmanship Unit and it was the first time I experienced the gun industry beyond shooting competitions. Fast forward to today, I am so grateful. For so many years, I was only able to connect with people interested in the shooting sports. At some point, and I don’t know exactly where or when, that changed and developed into something very special.

More than the sense of celebrity, selfies or signing autographs, I now cherish the conversations. Whether it’s helping someone diagnose issues with their shooting performance or taking them to a display to mold their hands on the grip of a pistol the way I do, these moments are memorable.

I cannot remember everyone I meet. I wish I could! But the opportunity to have these talks is so meaningful. I absolutely know how precious time is and the fact that people make the time to follow and support what I do, and do so in person when there are so many other things to do and see?  It means so very much.

Questions beyond the range like, how are the girls? (Both my daughters and the hens.) 🙂 Comments about my kitchen remodel, the books, and work with the NRA tell me how much people care. The greatest compliment I receive is when people say, “You’ve helped me change my life.”

That means more than any trophy on a shelf. It’s thanks to shooting sports that I get to do all this. They have been a true catalyst. That and the ever-important lesson from my parents, especially my dad (love you and miss you) to always remember humble beginnings. I’ll never forget the practice sessions at Waterloo Rifle & Pistol Club or all those matches we volunteered as range officers for free entries. Through these years I’ve learned the important lesson that shooting is personal and it’s a journey. Mine started with a dream to win a ladies national title. For others, it begins with the desire to be a strong and self-reliant person. There is no wrong reason.

Not too long ago I posted about 9 things I want to do in 2019 and it is this very topic that inspires another.

Bridging the Gap

I am in a rather funny place in my career right now. I am by no means, done competing. The difference between then and now is that for so long I wanted to be THE best. Now, I realize that striving to be MY best is what’s truly important. It’s the difference between an incessant need to prove versus knowing that I am at the wheel and defining what’s important to me.

It’s funny how different segments of the world of shooting demand proof. To some, success in competition is proof of ability. Success in hunting is often measured in the number and size of antlers. In personal defense and training success, it is about drills, how you carry and even who you train with. It’s easy and somewhat natural to use such parameters to define greatness. Helping to define such is one thing. Judging is quite another. Such judgment dictates we stay in a defined lane. It’s singular and unfortunate. Who we are represents the sum of us, not a single, specific direction.

Passion is personal, but the process of needing to prove to others can steer us away from our intent and our real purpose. Worse yet, when we judge others based on our own passions or compare them to our own limited experiences, we end up disconnected and limiting ourselves instead. This is one thing I want to remember in all those conversations I have with those who pull the trigger – the trainers, operators, defenders, competitors, and, yes all those everyday people too.  We are all users with different strengths, limitations, skills, capabilities, and desires.

People can judge, question and declare what you should or shouldn’t do or be all they like, but in 2019 I hope to fully live in my moment in a world that’s just as “real” as theirs and yours. The only proof that matters is personal. I’m done staying in what someone thinks my lane should be. I choose to make my own path, and pave my own lane. I hope the same for you!

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson