Sunday, August 19, 2007

Insidious...

Something happened yesterday that really threw me for a loop.

I was one of the guests at a get-together organized by Derek of Northeastshooters (great place for shooters even if you're not in the Northeast, BTW). Jon Green (he of GOAL fame) stopped in to chat with us and shoot the bull, and had some cigars he was kind enough to share with the group.

One of the guys had a stogie in his mouth and was looking for a light. I instinctively reached for the lighter in my right front pocket. Even though I quit smoking on 1/1/01, and haven't carried a lighter since.

Nearly seven years have passed since I last smoked, and yet the instinct to reach for my lighter is still there. And razor-sharp, to boot - I glanced over at Matt, saw he needed a light, and my hand went for the lighter before my brain had a chance to kick in.

What's interesting, though, is two-fold: First, that smoking is so fucking engrained in my psyche that a lapse of well more than half a decade isn't enough to eliminate the habits.

Secondly, the "training" - while I never actually trained to go for my lighter, it was a purely muscle-driven reflex to access it. Which tells me that I need to keep training different methods of drawing from concealment until the action becomes just as engrained.

If I can draw a concealed firearm half as quickly as I went for the lighter that was no longer there, I feel good about my chances of surviving a gunfight...

8 comments:

HollyB said...

That's a very interesting observation, Jay.
But, how long did you smoke? ANd how long have you been caring a concealed handgun?
That muscle reflex for drawing your lighter developed after reaching for it 20 times a day over how many years? SO, unless you are prepared to start reachin' for that pistol 60+/day in the same situations you used to reach for your lighter, it's not gonna happen as quickly as you might hope.
I'm REALLY not trying to rain on your parade, although I'm sure it sounds that way. But let's face it, you start practicin' drawin' even an imaginary gun in some of the same places you used to light a cig and they are all gonna move away from you on the Group W bench. But practicing in your car, you office if you have a door you can shut, your home, if you won't scare the kids, and at the range, sure practice all the time you can in those places, the TV is a great tool. Practice not just pulling, but acquiring a site picture.
And, how often do you practice "clearing your house"? I'm not talkin' about just thinkng about how you would do it, Jay. I mean actually walking through your home, with your favorite handgun, or the one you carry most often, as if you had just returned to find the door unlocked. Have you practiced walking through as if you had to "clear" your house yourself? It's amazing how many blind spots I found the first time I walked my house.
Try it if you haven't already.

GeorgeH said...

I still do the same thing and I quit in 1999. I also wake up some mornings reaching for the nonexistent pack of cigarettes on the bedside table. I've had people tell me the same stories that had not smoked in 30 years.

When I think about how many butts I lit to develop that habit and how many times I have practiced the draw of my concealed carry piece I realize I need to practice a lot more.

Anonymous said...

Amazing how many gunblog commenters quote Alice's Restaurant...

Anyway, I've been carrying a Spyderco Clipit for 20-some years now. I misplaced it for a while, and would have an apple to slice or package to open and would find myself staring at my left hand expecting to see a blade in it. So this isn't limited to smokers, and I typically only draw it half a dozen times a day.

See also Louis L'Amour's novel "The First Fast Draw".

Jay G said...

Hollyb,

Let's see... I smoked from 1987 to 2001 - 14 years (with a one year for my first quit attempt). I've carried a gun since 1994. 13 years. Damn, same amount of time!

But your point is well-taken, of course. Smoking anywhere from 1-2 packs a day means I went for my lighter 20 - 40 times a day. I'd be lying if I said I practiced drawing that many times a week... :|

As for "clearing the house", I don't practice all that much because my plan calls for hunkering down, calling the cops (we all have a fully-charged cell phone on our nightstands, right?), and guarding the top of the stairs until the boys in blue arrive.

There's nothing on the ground floor of my house worth the legal trouble of shooting a goblin. Plain and simple. With everyone on the second floor, my plan is to make sure the goblin never makes it to floor 2 and nothing else.

I got caught practicing "slicing the pie" by Mrs. G. (who is a GFW extraordinaire) with the Win 1300. Didn't go over well... :O

George,

Doesn't that just make you think, though? When you realize just how deeply engrained the habit gets, it's kinda scary. I mean, it's obvious that there are no lingering physical attachments after all this time. It's all psychological...

And I have to practice more, too...

triticale,

It just really reinforced to me how important muscle memory is. And how much work I still need to do...

Mr Weebles said...

I quit smoking a couple of weeks ago (with the help of Chantix) and I find myself doing the "reach into the shirt pocket for a smoke" thing at least a few times a day. I've taken to keeping a pack of gum in that pocket.

Anonymous said...

Okay, I'm laughing because this reminded me so much of Jackie Chan's The Tuxedo. Automatically pulls out the lighter when someone goes to smoke. LOL.

TOTWTYTR said...

Then some idiot asked you if you wanted a cigar, having forgotten that you're an ex smoker.

Sorry about that.

Jay G said...

mr weebles,

Congrats on quitting. The first month is the toughest - stick it out another couple of weeks and you'll be over the worst of it (I literally ripped the seat belt out of my truck in the first month because it tensed up on me and pissed me off at the wrong time...)

teresa,

Never saw that one, which is interesting because I love Jackie Chan movies, even going so far as to sit through the waste of celluloid known as "Rush Hour 2"...

Gary,

Don't sweat it. I also don't drink, but the keg didn't bother me.

Now, if'n someone had offered me a leggy blond... ;) (Wait. Did I type that or just think it?)