Sunday, November 27, 2011

Need to sharpen my knives again...


My knives aren't very useful if they aren't sharp, and it was embarrassing to loan someone your pocket knife and it wouldn't cut butter. One could get called a 'girl' for something like that, which would cause some rolling around in the dirt until they gave... don't call me a 'girl'. How many knives have I? well, I haven't counted recently (I am only replacing belt utilities now) and otherwise my constant carry is like the one Matt Helm carried, a lock blade folder, and he carried it for work - he was a real killer, at least in paperback fiction. I liked him, took me awhile to find lock blade folders. They are everywhere now, I carry two, one deep in one pocket, one clipped at the top of another pocket. I am not interested in being Matt Helm, I am so much above listening to voices from Washington DC about whom to kill, and I have never purchased a knife to harm anyone. I have been accused of it, but never did I think this is why I must have that knife; I need it to cut Fred into little bite-sized pieces. I have many knives designed for fighting, but James Bowie lived in a different time than I and liked his whiskey and women much better than cutting. But a Man has to do what a Man has to do, and backing down wasn't part of that.

Thinking about that brings me to the same conclusion about my firearms, there isn't a gun I have ever purchased for shooting people or one particular person, wasn't even a consideration - I was issued all the firearms I ever wanted to carry to kill humans with, by my government - wasn't any desire nor fun in that, just necessary. I was much more effective computing firing data for long reaching artillery into the heart of enemy territory in far countries. The target description would help me decide which rounds would be most effective and get it out the tubes on targets as fast as possible, with deadly effect. I like to shoot my firearms, not for the noise, but for the effect on target, putting the holes upon one another, or all in the X ring, but I don't shoot to compete (I am too cheap to spend for the needed practice) but I shoot for my education and advancement in the Earl level of marksmanship. I would shoot in any challenge or competition and be happy with my shots, and work on improvement. Sounds very similar to why I jogged, even long distances - not because I would have a chance to win, but that I could measure myself as the distance and weather wore on me. I could hide in the starting pack and pretend I was a social person, hiding in plain sight.

I don't go to church for the theology either, what man has to say about God and our (or my) relationship or lack of it, just isn't important. I go to tithe, I go to sing and I go to pray, but if I don't sharpen my tools, if I don't select the course God wants me on - not the preacher or the teacher - well, I won't be ready to do His work. Someone will call me a 'girl' and I will just deserve the derogatory term and hang my head in shame. It was much more fun rolling around on the ground until he gave up, but I was younger then. No, I go for the Love, sharpen those tools.

1 comment:

Old NFO said...

Ah yes, those tools we use every day, and all of them need to be sharp to keep us alive...