A Year Ago

It has been a year since I wrote my post "Almost" and the "After Action" report.  As way of reminder those posts were about a home invasion situation were I used a gun to defend my home.

Since that incident I have made several changes to improve situational awareness and personal security.  After a years time I have made additional observations:

1. I am more able on a daily basis to deal with a threat.
2. Unfortunately it is easy to slack off and not always carry everything I need.
3. The day you don't have your kit, is the day you will need it, (or come close to needing it).
4. I have an increased respect for stories like this one about the 72 year old grandmother defending her home.
5. I thought I would increase my drills.  The opposite has happened.  This is due in part to the ammo shortage and in part to my schedule and time restraints. 
6. My basic skill level doesn't seem to have suffered much, however I haven't measured it, so its hard to tell.  I did score a one shot, head shot kill, on a coyote in low light with my defensive handgun, so my accuracy seems ok.
7. After rereading and reflecting on my "After Action" report, I have come to the conclusion that I am less likely today to defend my possessions than I was a year ago.  I would still protect my family and my life (in that order).  My stuff?  Not so much.  Last year, while things were happening, it never entered my head what I was protecting.  A switch flipped in my head and I was in defender mode.  I'd like to think that if the same thing happened again, that experience would temper my response.
8. I feel an almost evangelistic desire to arm and teach other people how to defend themselves.
9. Incredibly and despite a lifelong hobby in shooting sports, my interest in firearms has remarkably decreased this last year.  I'm almost apathetic on the topic of guns and shooting in general. 
10. Number 9 above notwithstanding, the defensive arms industry could improve their products.
11. The cops I dealt with were great.  That said given the reports of police and government conduct in our nation, the powers that be are increasingly part of the problem and a hindrance to the goal of a safe and peaceful society.

In my situation, no shots were fired, no one was hurt or killed, nothing was stolen and all was ended well.  Since last year I've been more aware of stories in the news about people using a gun to stop a crime.  It's simply amazing how often an armed citizen who is ready, willing and able to use a gun keeps something bad from happening just because they were armed and willing to take a stand.