Gun Control… So Sexy

The other day Frank and I took Dante (more like Frank and Dante took me) to the shooting range. We wanted to do something together before Dante goes back to college in a few days. Dante wants to get into law enforcement (like most of the menfolk on Frank’s side of the family). Frank’s side of the family likes guns for sport. For hunting, but not too much hunting. For protection, but mostly for sport. Frank has the concealed and carry license. It is good to be comfortable with your gun if you hold that license.

At any rate, we went. My first time. It was enjoyable. I was clearly the rookie. I could see how it could become an enjoyable hobby, albeit expensive.

It brings me to examining what is going on in our country with the scramble to change the gun control laws in our country. Right now, I see people moving out of emotion, following the recent elementary school shooting. I find it strange that so much focus is on the gun, and so little on the mental health.

It’s sexier to focus on guns. Easier.

To focus on the emotional state of the young man, the way the system fails people over and over… is much less appealing. Much less emotionally charged. Most people have no answer regarding the mentally ill, but are able to scrounge one up – or pick a “side” at least – when it comes to guns. I’m not concerned with mentally sound adults having firearms in their homes. I am concerned about some of the violent, mentally ill people in our community – guns or no guns.

I don’t really know the answer to any of this. I just know that right now, at this time, may not be the the exact moment to make a decision. I personally would much rather  see the focus turned on the mentally ill than on the weapon of choice they use to kill themselves or other people. For every one of these mass-killings, there are many more where a person kills a wife, child, mother, father, sibling, self, or others on a smaller scale. It isn’t always with a gun. It’s with hands, household objects. Whatever they can attain. It doesn’t make headlines. Same problem, different stage, setting and weapon.

Happy New Year 2013

As you can see, I don’t keep up on posting here much. It isn’t that I’m not online. I am. On Facebook, or Twitter, or cruising around my Google Reader looking for recipes. Paying bills, checking online wrestling brackets for my kids. Going to Amazon, eBay (Carlito has become quite the ebay fanatic lately).

Being online isn’t the same as it used to be. There’s so many places to interact with people, get tips, read, ogle food pictures… the list goes on.

I miss blogging/journaling though. I do. This place, though, groovy-mom.com doesn’t quite feel like home to me anymore. So I don’t (blog). I have other domains, and have contemplated just doing some free blogging at blogger, too. We shall see. Just when I say that, I keep things the same and continue to attempt staying here. Eh. Who knows. For the two of you that read this, I’ll keep ya updated.

Life is moving forward, like it tends to do. My kids are getting so old, yo. I look at them and wonder how we got here so quick. After this year, all my kids will be in high-school or beyond. That’s… that’s something for me to ponder on. Adjust to. We went bowling last night with the boys and had a very nice time. It was fun to just DO something together on neutral ground. Not a school function, not a church function, not a sports function – just us doing something together. I wish it could be more often. The times where the boys can hang together (and with us) is slipping by. Soon they will have girlfriends, jobs, school — whatever takes them away from each other. That is the pattern of life, but it is also something you leave behind in your youth, that freedom.

Rare is it that adult siblings can get together – just them – and enjoy time. The older you get, there’s always something waiting. Or you’re tired from your obligations of the day. I hope that they can manage time together as they get older. They enjoy each other. Not all siblings do, and they are blessed that way.

So, yeah, we bowled. I don’t ever seem to hit 100 when I bowl, but maybe if I did it more than once a year. I did get 2 (or 3) strikes during the second game. Go me.

I must be getting old because I set my alarm to get up early (that would be 8am rather than crawl out of bed at 10am) so I could have a couple extra hours. For laundry, for sipping coffee in front of the computer, listening to the space ship sounds of my washer. To make cinnamon bread. To not waste so much time.

Intentional is an over-used word. I guess in the years of accessibility nearly everything is over-used. Nothing is unique anymore – and if it is, millions know about it immediately and, without knowing it, make it common by sharing/liking/instagramming/face chatting it into over-used in a matter of seconds.

Yet, intent is the resolution I would have for 2013. Spending my time with intent. Purpose.