About fifteen minutes ago. The first time ever. I can still feel the vibrations in my hand. My “trigger finger”. Since I came out here, the shooting range has been listed as one of the things to do in Kuwait. I heard people talk about going. And frankly, I needed something. Something besides the gym and work and the couch and movies. I needed to wake myself up somehow. Anyway, as I approach 49 years of age, I don’t want to be one of the handful of Americans on my block who has never even held a gun. Of course, there was some fear – both of the weapon itself and inadequacy. I wanted to get rid of them. Heck, Chris was a crack shot with a rifle and a shotgun when he was eleven!

I don’t know – it seemed necessary.

The place is right near where I live – right off the highway. I scoped it out yesterday (turns out they don’t open until 5pm). So I went after work tonight. The range is inside a pretty standard but nice building, part of the Hunting and Equestrian complex. When I went by yesterday, a young couple had also come up and were turned away. Tonight, I walked in behind two young ladies. They were there with boyfriends meeting another two couples downstairs. But during the time I was there, no women were shooting. At least not in the handgun range.

It cost about $20 for 20 bullets. I could choose either rifles or handguns. There were four choices of rifle and I think six handguns: a small 28, 9 millimeter, a .45, a .44 and two others I can’t remember. I chose the nine millimeter. I was pointed over to Bay 1 with my receipt in hand. There was a waiting area before the actual range area separated by sound proof glass. As I looked around trying to see where to go next (there was no line, just some guys looking at their used targets), a guard waved at me through the nearby door and pointed back to the way I had just come. At first I thought I missed a step, but I looked up and saw what he was after. Above the outside glass was a line of sound mufflers. Then someone opened the door to the range at the same time a shot went off. Let me tell you – firing a gun indoors is LOUD!!! I put those mufflers on fast and he waved me through the door.

I handed my slip to the Filipino gentleman inside and he brought it to the counter where they counted out my bullets and took out my gun. There were only about three other people there shooting, but I can imagine it gets crowded. He took me over to my spot and gave me rudimentary gun instructions. I was worried that the mufflers and the noise would wreak havoc on my trying to understand his broken English, but the instructions for shooting a gun are pretty basic. Point the gun straight at all times – especially when loaded. Keep your finger off the trigger unless you are ready to shoot. Hold the gun tightly with both hands. He showed me how to load the magazine with bullets (sliding them in one at a time) and where the safety was and how to release the clip to refill it. He showed me how to aim. He said you don’t pull the trigger – you squeeze it slowly.

I got into the stance, turned off the safety and fired. Let me tell you, that thing jumps. At least it doesn’t end up where you started. You have to re-aim each time. But that helps you keep from thinking you’re on some silly cop show where they just fire at will 20 or thirty times. The magazine holds ten bullets , so after one round with the target fairly close, the second was pushed farther back. But I did alright. Only two went straight in the center. But most of the rest were clustered pretty close to the center.

My 20 shots done, I shook hands with my instructor, took my shot-up target and came home. The whole thing took about twenty minutes. It was worth it. It was fun, actually. Some things you just have to know…

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