If you are not from the South, you may not have heard the phrase, “Hey y’all, watch this!” Be forewarned. As those of us know down here in the warmer areas of the US, when you hear someone – almost always male – utter that phrase it means two things. First, it means you should get out of the way really quickly. Second, it means you are about to witness an amazing act of outright stupidity. For those of you in Britain who are Top Gear fans, equate it with Jeremy Clarkson asking, “How hard can it be?”
Now I am sure my good friend and neighbor didn’t utter those words since he was in his truck alone, but he might as well have. Why? Because he was messing with his hand gun in his truck, in traffic (and yes he has a license for all that), and proceeded to shoot himself through the hand and leg! To top it off, he then drove himself to the hospital emergency room – in a huge Mac Tool truck!
No matter what you are thinking at this point, my friend isn’t stupid or insane. He is a very stable, over 40, intelligent person. He is a fairly avid hunter so he knows gun safety very well. It was no lack of knowledge or training that caused this. It was simply a lack of using that knowledge and training. I had to ask him, “Why were you messing around and cocking your gun while driving?” Or actually, while stopped at at traffic light. His response? “I don’t really know.” Great! Brilliant!
Actually I am quite glad that he wasn’t hurt worse. He shattered a bone in his hand and took a small chunk out of his leg. He now has some bandages and a bullet in the door to show for it all. And we are all very glad that the bullet stayed in the truck and didn’t travel to other cars, pedestrians, animals, or whatever. A very serious thing and he knows it. But still, it is just so stupid that you are forced to shake your head and laugh. And, of course, not give him back the gun – at least for a while.
Might have to start calling him Dick Cheney.
