When it comes to concealed carry, for most of us, that generalized phrase typically means out in public in our minds. It means we are running errands in grocery stores, we’re intermingling with the public, and while you would hope or assume everywhere you go is safe you are taking that extra step of precaution and preparedness by being able to defend yourself and not relying on others. Where that typically ends is once we get home. We undress our firearm off of ourselves and it typically then sits on a nightstand or in a gun safe. What about around your home though? Are you still carrying a sidearm while working in your garage? While doing yard work? These are still areas that I would deem “home” yet you are vaguely exposed to the public, your neighbors, and other people passing by. It is something worth contemplation. Would you or do you carry in your yard or garage?
This topic comes to mind for me because when I am doing mundane yard work like gardening or cutting my grass, I still carry my daily EDC pistol on me. Some of my gun friends have razzed me for doing that, but it became apparent this past Sunday on Halloween that I was doing the right thing. On Halloween, I was raking leaves in my yard as well as my 75-year old neighbor’s yard. This arduous task took around 7 hours to complete (so no need to go to the gym that day). Being as it was Halloween, later in the afternoon Trick-or-Treaters started populating my neighborhood, wandering the streets, indiscriminately walking through yards, and asking for candy. Normally, I am of the Clint Eastwood “get off my lawn vibe,” but being as it was Halloween, I allowed the traipsing through my yard to occur. Throughout the entire afternoon, I had a bowl of candy on my stoop while I continued to work in my yard with a pistol concealed under my clothes.
Later that evening once all the Trick-or-Treaters reached peak sugar levels, went home, and I had finished my yard work I began to watch the evening news. By 10 o’clock there were already reports of middle-aged men who had dressed up in Halloween costumes, knocked on unsuspecting homeowners’ doors, and proceeded to rob them at gunpoint. That would be a horrific scene to unfold if it was you! While no one I knew was directly affected, it did happen in my city. It was a cause for alarm for all of my neighbors yet at the same time, I felt reassured that if that were to happen to me, I would have been ready.
None of us ever know when danger will strike. That is why it is always important to carry even if it is in your own yard and you are raking leaves on Halloween. Until next time, continually check out our blog, join our newsletter, and watch the website for new and exciting updates! As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the comments below. We love it when you participate in our articles and keep the conversation going!
